Royal & Noble
Royal & Noble
Property from the Berkeley Collection at Spetchley Park
A floral embroidered silk and metal-thread cope, Italian, possibly Naples, second quarter 17th century
Lot Closed
January 18, 06:00 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Berkeley Collection at Spetchley Park
A floral embroidered silk and metal-thread cope, Italian, possibly Naples. second quarter 17th century
the whole worked with exuberant scrolling foliage and flowers, interspersed with butterflies, the orphrey is of the same design with a scroll across width, the hood is applied with an earlier silk and metal-thread couched figure of Madonna and child against a later velvet and silk backing with earlier metal fringing
approximately 146cm. high, 294cm. wide; 4ft. ⁹⁄₄in. high, 9ft. ⅞in. wide
This embroidery technique of laying down the loose and flattened silk threads and securing them with threads across them, with maximum use of the silk to be seen in the light, was used particularly in Naples at this time. There is a similar chasuble in this sale. For comparables in museum collections see, a chasuble, Italy, 1650-1699, (approximately 114cm high), of equally striking design and appearance, and incorporating a coat of arms with inscription, see the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection (T.295-1972), along with an altar frontal (Inv. No. 155-1895), and a Cope, circa 1675-1700, incorporating a coat of arms of a cardinal in each corner, in the Art Institute of Chicago (Inv. 1970.1081).