We would like to wish you all a happy weekend with a historical textile.
This week we focus on a chasuble in silk from Ösmo church, Södermanland, Sweden. The church is whose oldest parts are from the 1100s, is mostly famous for it’s paintings made by Albertus Pictor.
The fabric is a silk damask in a pomegranate pattern, from Italy. Now pale red/ pinkish.
It’s decorated with two different tablet woven bands. The band that is attached to the back of chasuble, in the shape of a cross, is woven in silk with gold thread in the brocading weft. Green and blue silk is still visible on that band. The band that is attached around the neck line is possibly made from linen and have a gold thread in the brocading weft. We find is quite amusing that the neck band is not at all centered in the front.
The shape of the chasuble have been changed and some material have been cut off. The item shows some interesting piecing and give us an idea that the fabric was once very valuable. There are no traces of pattern matching. The seams shows that the silk fabric was sewn together with back stitches. One can see the characteristic V-shaped stitches through the gap in between the pieces.
The linen lining is very impressive with it’s dark blue colour. Most likely dyed with woad.
The chasuble can be found in the collections of Statens Historiska museum in Sweden.
Here is the link to the object in the database. The chasuble is dated to mid -to late 15th century.
Happy weekend!
/ Amica and Maria
All images subject to CC BY SA. Photographer: Historical Textiles, specified at sharing of images. Make sure to do the same with the pictures from Historiska
Picture from Historiska museets database
Backside. With the decoration in shape of a cross
Detail of vertical part of cross
Detail from horizontal part of the tablet woven decoration
Detail from horizontal part of the tablet woven decoration
Detail from the tablet woven band attached to the neckline.
Picture from Historiska museets database
Detail of piecing, with stitches
Detail of piecing, with stitches.
Detail of piecing, with stitches
Detail of piecing, bottom end.
Linen lining in dark blue
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