Textile Fabrics / A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the Museum

by Daniel Rock

7468.

A Lectern Veil of silk and gold cut-work; ground, crimson silk; design, of cut-work in cloth of gold and white and blue silk, ramifications ending in bunches of white grapes, horns of plenty holding fruit, and ears of wheat. French, 17th century. 9 feet by 1 foot 9¾ inches.

Such veils are thrown over a light moveable stand upon which the book of the Gospels and Epistles is put at high mass, for the deacon’s use as he sings the Gospel of the day. The cut-work is well-designed, and sewed on with an edging of blue cord in some places, of yellow in others. The cloth of gold was so poor that now it looks at a short distance like mere yellow silk.