A group of black vestments and accessories, European, 16th century and later

Black vestments was one of the four main colours (along with white, red and green) specified by Pope Innocent III at the end of the 12th century, for use in outer garments (copes and chasubles). Purple or Indigo were to be used as an alternative to black. Black vestments were to be worn for Good Friday and for mourning and requiem masses. Later black and purple were more sharply differentiated between, with purple being for Advent and Lent. It was not universally adhered to and not all churches could afford to have vestments to complete the whole canon. The quality of the items was more important than the colour. Dictates on the colour worn were not laid down for some events, when it was assumed that the highest quality vestment available would be worn. The Benedictine Abbey of Evesham stated in 1377 that 'the great black chasuble' should be worn on Christmas day. Easter rules were stricter, and white was the traditional and preferred colour. It was not until the 19th century that the wide diversity of colours was brought into a stricter code of conduct for particular liturgical purposes, and the Roman canon was adopted by many churches, resulting in the colour codes being almost universal. 

One of the chasubles in this group includes orphrey panels of 19th century Jacquard weave, in black and silver, and is in the style used for the distinctive momento mori, which was a revival of the death themes of the Baroque and Rococo in the 17th century. There was a revival of the appeal of the dramatic. Many examples included symbolic motifs of skulls, hourglasses, angels, flames and pomegranates. This example is just flowers but the technique and use as a vestment for Masses and Requiems is the same.