As a case for holding “corporals” and “palls,” this box is a curiosity, in its way, of rare occurrence. It must be carefully distinguished from a square sort of case for the “corporal,” and called the “burse.” The corporal is a large square piece of fine linen; and at one time the chalice at mass not only stood upon it but was covered too by its inward border; but for a long period, the usage has been and is to put upon the chalice, instead of any part of the corporal, a much smaller separate square piece of fine linen, often stiffened, the better to serve its purpose, with card-board, like this example; such is a pall, and the one before us is figured, we may say illuminated, with what used to be called, in England, St. Gregory’s Pity; “Church of our Fathers,” i. 53. Upon an altar, around which are the instruments of the Passion, and on one side St. Peter, known by the key in his hand, and on the other the cock on the column, crowing, stands our Lord all bleeding, with the blood trickling into a chalice between His feet. At the foot of the altar kneels, veiled for mass, St. Gregory the Great, behind whom we see, holding a book in both hands, St. Jerome, robed as a cardinal; the whole is framed in a floriated border. The other, and unstiffened “pall,” is illuminated with the Crucifixion after the usual conventional manner, in all respects, that prevailed at the time it was done, that is, somewhere about the year 1490. As specimens on linen these two palls are rather rare. The border of flowers, on vellum, attached to the inside of the lid, is a free, well-coloured, and pleasing example of the Flemish school late in the 15th century. The raised velvet is of a rich crimson tone, and from Lucca or Genoa.
Though, in later times, employed as an ordinary case for the cleanly keeping after service of the corporals or pieces of fine linen, always spread out in the middle of the altar-stone for the host and chalice to rest upon, at mass, its first use seems to have been for reservation of the Blessed Sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday to serve at the celebration of the divine office on Good Friday morning, as we have fully set forth in the Introduction § 5, and again while describing a similar box, No. 5958.
In the present specimen all that remains of the vellum illumination, once upon the inside of the lid, is a wreath of painted flowers, within which stood the missing Crucifixion. The absence of that scene is, however, well supplied by the other kind of art-work wrought in colours of the same subject; done, too, after a broad bold manner, upon a square piece of very fine linen, which, as it is moveable, serves now as a lining for the lower inside of this case.
Such ecclesiastical appliances are rare, so much so, that, besides the two in this collection, none is known to be in this country; while very few, even on the Continent, are to be seen at the present day.
8328.
Amice of Linen; with its apparel of crimson velvet, on which are three hexagonal roses woven in gold. Spanish, middle of the 15th century. 3 feet 9 inches by 1 foot 9 inches.
The velvet of the apparel is of a fine rich pile, and the tone of colour light ruby. The flowers, seeded and barbed, are not put in by the needle but woven. Such a liturgical appliance is not now often to be met with in its original state; but, in this instance, it ought to be noticed, that while the amice itself—that is, the linen portion of this vestment—is remarkable for its large size, the velvet apparel sewed on it is broader and shorter than those which we find figured on English ecclesiastical monuments during the mediæval period. The narrow green ferret which hems the apparel is usually found employed as a binding in crimson liturgical garments anciently made in Flanders. Though the velvet was woven in Spain, this linen amice seems to have once belonged to some Flemish sacristy: at one period the connection between the two countries was drawn very close.
8329.
