Skip to Main Content

Apparel from a Dalmatic

early 1500s
Silk, gold and silver thread; embroidery
Overall: 41.9 x 54.6 cm (16 1/2 x 21 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Robertson 1977.169.b
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Description

This lavishly enriched embroidery, known as an apparel, is part of a set that originally embellished a dalmatic, an ecclesiastical garment, one on the front above the hem and another on the back. Gold and silver thread form the striking strapwork, or interlaced scrolls, of blossoms and leaves. The variety of stitches would have made the embroidery sparkle in low light levels, such as in a candlelit church. Some are worked in straight lines, others in curved contours, while still others create more textured basket-weave effects.
Apparel from a Dalmatic

Apparel from a Dalmatic

early 1500s

Italy, early 16th century

See Also

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.