Fragment, probably from a Chasuble

1400s
Overall: 66 x 29.9 cm (26 x 11 3/4 in.); Mounted: 76.2 x 40.6 cm (30 x 16 in.)
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location: not on view

Download, Print and Share

Description

Luxurious velvet fabrics were woven in several different grades based on the quality and quantity of the raw materials. Those with extensive gold thread and plush silk pile were the most luxurious. This green velvet is of a lower grade. The popular 15th-century pattern of five-lobed palmettes displaying pomegranates or blossoms is arranged in staggered rows. Velvet pile was omitted in areas to create the pattern, known as "voided" velvet. Since projecting pile required quantities of silk thread, voided velvet was less expensive to manufacture than solid-pile velvet or brocaded velvet.
Fragment, probably from a Chasuble

Fragment, probably from a Chasuble

1400s

Italy

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.