Chasuble of Cardinal Marco Vegerio (1505-1510)

Many of the Renaissance era vestments that we have shown here over the years tend to be manifest by very large "a griccia" patterns, accompanied by re-purposed medieval embroidered orphrey panels that were fit as best they could be into the new, more truncated styles, frequently resulting in some of the scenes being cut off and occasionally awkwardly at the neck. 

This present example, dated to 1505-1510 and of Florentine manufacture, shows us something a bit different. First and foremost, the textile, while containing the ever familiar and popular red and gold theme of the time as well as the "cammino" motif shows us a form of Renaissance expression that is slightly more retrained, More importantly, however, the orphrey, while being stylistically similar to medieval orphreys, seems to have been clearly produced specifically in the era for this chasuble, rather than being repurposed.  

If one looks closely at the orphrey, one will observe that the architectural details which frame the various saints are quite a bit more ornate than their medieval predecessors.  One will also see that the base of the orphrey terminates in a semi-circular shape and includes one of the earliest examples of the incorporation of prelatial stemma (arms) onto a parament that I have come across to date -- it is very simple in form, showing merely the red galero and its tassels, having been applied on top of the other embroidery and even the galloons. 

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