On Apr 25, 2007, at 11:31 PM, Elizabeth Walpole wrote:
Hello everyone, first up the short version of the question, does anybody know what fabric 7th century Italian or English church vestments (specifically the chasuble) would have been made of? Read on if you're interested in why I need to know. My SCA group has been given a quest to find a 'relic' of our patron saint (St Aldhelm) I've found a 13th century book on the lives of the saints (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/golden000.htm for a 15th century English translation) which mentions a relic which was still on display in the 13th century in the form of a chasuble which was miraculously hung on a sunbeam. If we take this source at face value and assume that this was really the chasuble used by an English monk while visiting Rome in the late 7th century (so it could have either been purchased in Rome or taken with him from England) would it have been made from silk or wool (presumably not linen as it was described as purple)?
If it helps, there is a surviving 8th c. chasuble associated with St. Ebbo held at the cathedral museum at Sens, France. It's made of silk and is described in:
Chartraire, E. 1897. Inventaire du Tressor de l'église Primatiale et Métropolitaine de Sens. Paul Duchemin, Sens
This source only has a text description. I don't seem to have a mention of it in my notes from when I was at the museum, so it may not have been on display at that time. There is also a silk dalmatic associated with St. Ebbo held there which (now) is a sort of slate- blue in color (the fabric is a tabby weave, not particularly glossy, as I recall) and is trimmed by -- I kid you not -- narrow bands of woven trim in a "rainbow" pattern (i.e., half a dozen different colored stripes in parallel).
For what that's worth. Heather _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
