Chasuble
Not on view
This garment is a tabard-like chasuble, intended to be worn by a Catholic priest during church services. Throughout the nineteenth century, Chinese textile workers catered to Europeans' love of the color and decorative elegance of their work through a vibrant and widespread export market. This example is not quite as fine as some other Chinese-made European vestments in The Met's collection (for example, 62.215.2 or 1973.118a) and likely represents the cheaper and later end of the market. The chasuble has been used and worn until its fine silk fell into holes, with some incongruous patching on the front of European woven floral silks– either French or British.
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