The following set of vestments are dated to 1740-60 and were manufactured in green Venetian gros de Tours silk with lisere and gold metallic galloons. The example in question shows a particular beauty and as such I wished to share it, both for reasons of historical interest and also in an effort to present excellent historical models to our contemporary, bespoke vestment designers so that they might take inspiration from them.
The shape of the chasuble, as well as the design for the orphreys, is firmly set within the Italian tradition. One thing to note in this example is the delicacy of the colours. I have noted time and again that too often our contemporary mindset tends to think of liturgical colours very restrictively, often limiting the imagination to a few basic shades. The testimony of liturgical history, however, shows a much broader and more diverse palette.
The fabric itself is quite interesting, containing floral imagery in blues, reds and purples, as well as metallic gold and silver woven throughout. Here is a closer look.
The metallic gold galloons are also quite fine and you will note that they are wider than is often the case, The proportions work quite nicely and help to give the chasuble a slightly different feel.
Here are some of the other pieces from the set.
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| Maniple |
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| Burse |
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| Stole |
Source: BeWeb
