Chasuble
1700-1710
Not on view
- From the Exotic to the Mystical: May 4, 2013 - August 4, 2013: Made of rich velvet and lavishly embroidered in gold and polychrome silk, this liturgical set, according to family legend, was created for the royal chapel at Versailles (completed 1710) and removed at the command of Marie-Antoinette by her lady-in-waiting the marquise de Rochelambert as the Parisian mobs descended on the grounds in October 1789. The set comprises nine pieces: a chasuble, worn by the celebrant; identical dalmatics with matching maniples, worn by the deacons; three stoles, worn over the arm; and the burse, used to carry the corporal (the cloth used in the celebration of the Eucharist). The sacrificial lamb—a symbol of Christ—and the Book with Seven Seals illuminate the chasuble's back, evoking the Resurrection; the clusters of grapes and wheat signify the bread and wine of the Eucharist. While the garments bear no royal insignia or inventory stamp that would support their purported provenance, their artistry ranks them among the most brilliant achievements of French needlework from the glittering age of the Sun King.
- Title
- Chasuble
- Date
- 1700-1710
- Object Type
- Costumes
- Medium
- Silk and metallic thread; cut velvet and embroidery (laid work, couching, padded couching, and or nué)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase, Dorothy Spreckels Munn Bequest Fund
- Accession Number
- 2004.9.1.1
