Chasuble

This is the tabard-like garment that a Catholic priest would wear during church services. From a distance- which is how most of the congregation would have viewed the priest- the textile reads as a luxurious and expensive figurative silk. However, viewed up close, it becomes apparent that this is a considerably cheaper alternative, with the figurative design of lush blooms, verdant foliage and swirling ribbons all simply embroidered onto a thin and unremarkable plain silk ground. Although metal-wrapped thread is used throughout, and would originally have provided some glitter and shine, its quality is again mediocre: thin, base metal wrapped around very thick cotton cores, which have become visible due to abrasion in certain areas of heavy wear, such as the shoulders.