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Cope Place of origin: England, Great Britain (made) Italy (velvet, probably, woven) Date: 1330-1350 (made) Artist/Maker: Unknown (production) Materials and Techniques: Embroidered silk velvet with silver and silver-gilt thread and coloured silks, pearls, beads and metal Credit Line: Purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, the Pilgrim's Trust, the Worshipful Company of Merchant Tailors, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, the Worshipful Company of Mercers, the Worshipful Company of Broderers, the Worshipful Company of Drapers, the Worshipful Company of Weavers and the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers Museum number: T.36-1955 Gallery location: Medieval and Renaissance, room 10, case 11 Public access description This cope illustrates the third of the three major decorative schemes found in English copes of the medieval period, which overlap chronologically. In the two other schemes the figures are arranged in horizontal rows, and thus are not ideally suited to the curved shape of the cope (the Syon Cope, also in the V&A's collection, is an example of this). In this example, however, the figures framed within Gothic arches are arranged in concentric rows so that they follow the curved edge and sit favorably in relation to the hem. The red velvet ground of Italian origin is an ideal foil for the high quality English embroidery (called opus anglicanum, the Latin for English work), which was sought after throughout Europe and bought by princes and popes. The scenes show the Life of the Virgin; apostles and saints with crouching lions; lion masks; angels; and a pair of birds. The cope relates very closely to a chasuble now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, known as the Chichester-Constable chasuble, and it is possible that they may have been designed to be used together. Vestments like this one illustrate the sumptuous and costly textiles which were favoured by the Christian church, often given by wealthy donors, making a conspicuous show of both earthly wealth and spiritual devotion. Descriptive line Silk velvet cope embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread and coloured silks, velvet probably woven in Italy, made in England, 1330-1350 Physical description Red silk velvet cope embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread and coloured silks. Wth scenes from the Life of the Virgin. This cope is semi-circular with a wide orphrey sewn along the long straight edge. The main body of the cope is made of red silk velvet which is embroidered with sacred scenes, apostles and saints in three concentric zones made up of multifoil ogee arches adorned with oak sprigs, lions and lion-masks; seated angels holding stars occupy the spandrels. The orphreys comprise architectural niches containing ecclesiastics and kings. In areas of the lions's mask where the pearls have worn away, a layer of white silk is visible. The design was probably originally drawn on this silk and through the silk velvet. The dark outlinees may well be remains of black silk outlines. The body of the cope is made of red silk velvet embroidered with gold, silver and silk thread, pearls, beads and small metal rings. The needlework is stitched through the velvet ground, not worked separately and then applied. Before working, the surface of the velvet was overlaid with thin fabric which shows through where the embroidery has worn away. The stitches used are underside couching (for most of the metal threads), surface couching (on the Infant Christ's gold robe in the central scene and the drapery of the lectern in the Annunciation group) and for tying down laid silk, split stitch (for silk embroidery), French knots and satin stitch. The draperies, in gold with silk borders and linings, have the folds marked by narrow bands of gold laid in contrary direction to the rest of the surface. Features of the faces are outlined in black silk and cheeks are stitched in loop-shaped spirals, slightly indented at the centre. Many accessories such as crowns and caskets show a surface of loosely-stitched white silk, the preparatory ground work for pearl fillings (the pearls are now missing in most cases). Three concentric zones of arcaded imagery spread over the surface of the vestment, framing three central scenes and 24 standing figures ranged on either side. Between the three arcades, the spandrels form two lesser zones. The gold columns of the arcades are composed of twisted branches bearing a large oak-leaf and acorn on either side just above each intersection. The columns of the lower arcade rest on gold lions with bushy manes and tails worked in raised gold and with blue silk ears and claws. The lions crouch on grassy mounds made of green silk laid horizontally across the velvet and tied down with close lines of yellow split stitch. The mounds are strewn with flowers, such as daisies and forget-me-nots, worked in French knots, split and satin stitch. The crocketted arches have five lobes from the points of which hang oak-leaves and acorns. Lion masks with protruding pink tongues, bright blue ears and mouths and white teeth are found at the points where the arches join the columns and where the upper columns spring from the spandrels of the rows below. The masks were formerly covered with pearls and the protruding eyes were made of green beads enclosed in small gold rings, a few of 1 / 5 which still remain. In the spandrels of the arches are twenty-four angels, fifteen in the lower zone are slightly larger than the eleven above. Four set in the half-spandrels abutting onto the orphrey, stand holding large stars with six-curved points. The others are seated on thrones made of beasts set back to back (two in the upper zone and four in the lower), with heads worked in gold, broad silver collars and bodies worked in gold wound on bright green silk. All angels have yellow hair, framed by a gold nimbus, and their outspread wings are worked in gold and silver, each feather being veined with a chequered silk line. The stars were formerly covered with pearls, with a green bed in the centre, but these only remain in one instance. In the side spandrels of the double arch at the centre of the cope two parakeets confront each other, their heads turned backwards. Their heads and wings are green, their bodies yellow. The following subjects are represented: In the three central panels on the back of the cope, each of which is contained in a double arch of the arcade, reading from top to bottom: 1. Coronation of the Virgin: Central piece missing. On a throne of gold arcading, surmounted by a frieze of quatrefoils tinted pink, blue and green, and a pale green cushion fretted with buff silk trellis tied with pink spots and crosses, sit facing each other, the Virgin, crowned and nimbed, with hands clasped in adoration, and Christ, one hand raised in blessing, the other resting on a tripartite globe worked in silver, green and sepia. Both figures have long, flowing hair, the Virgin's yellow, Christ's in two shades of yellow. The Virgin's robe has a brown and white patterned lining representing fur, and a yellow border, with gold trellis. Christ's cloak is lined with white silk and has a pink border with blue chevrons, the sleeves of his robe are lined with yellow. 2. Adoration of the Magi: The Virgin, crowned and nimbed and with long flowing yellow hair, holds in her right hand a sceptre in the form of a scrolling flower sprig. She is seated on a throne of gold arcading surmounted by a band of pink silk covered by a blue, gold and white trellis, and bearing a yellow silk cushion tied down by a pink, white and gold trellis.The Virgin's cloak has a patterned fur lining as in the Coronation scene, and a pink and white border. Her robe has a blue border around neck and sleeves. She is supporting the Infant Christ who stands on her knee holding out his arms towards a goblet (once encrusted with pearls) presented by a kneeling king. The Child has yellow hair and his gold robe is spotted with blue. A small bird (almost obliterated) hangs from his left hand. The kneeling king has a bald crown and flowing white hair and beard. The other two Kings stand bearing gifts and one of them points to a star above the Child's head. The robes of all three kings have patterned fur linings. One of the kings has yellow hair and yellow shoes covered by a pink and white trellis, the other has green and yellow hair and beard. 3. The Anunciation: An angel with short yellow hair, stitched in indented spirals, wearing a cloak with yellow lining and gold and white border and a robe with blue lining and pink and yellow border and with wings half-furled, holds out a long scroll inscribed AVE MARIA GRACIA in black silk letters upon gold. He approaches the Virgin who stands with one hand raised and the other resting upon a draped lectern, upon which lies an open book inscribed with the word AMEN in black letters on a silver page. The Virgin has long, flowing yellow hair and a green and gold bordered cloak with patterned fur lining as in the other two scenes. Between the Virgin and the angel is a two-handled vase containing a lily with three white flowers. Above the Virgin the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, once encrusted with pearls, with crossed nimbus, flies downwards.

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