Statue robe
Created to adorn a cult statue, probably of the Infant Christ or of the Virgin Mary, during Catholic feast days and holy days, this distinctive cape is a rare survival of Sicilian coral work, also appreciable at The Met in the vestments 2009.300.2984a-c. With its rosy hues, coral symbolized the spilled blood of Christ whose sacrifice, Christians believe, saved Humanity; appropriate to the island of Sicily, coral was also believed to have talismanic powers, protecting its bearer when travelling on water. Here, the beads are nestled within shimmering silver threads- drawn, beaten, coiled, and wrapped around silken cores.
Artwork Details
- Title: Statue robe
- Date: ca. 1690–1720
- Culture: Italian, Sicily
- Medium: Metal thread, coral beads
- Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Robert Wood Bliss, 1943
- Object Number: 43.164
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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