The ornamentation of the dalmatic before the twelfth century consisted either of vertical bands (like the clavi) or else of horizontal bands, of orphrey-work. After that date the plain white vestment was superseded by one covered all over with elaborate embroidery. This is especially the case with the episcopal dalmatic, which is only what we should have expected.
We have already stated one symbolical meaning attaching to the dalmatic and its appurtenances. A few more may be of interest: the Passion of Christ; the 'pure religion and undefiled,' as described by St James; the Old and New Testaments; the crucifixion of the world in the wearer; the wide mercy of Christ, etc.
All of the early writers are misled by the decree of Pope Sylvester into imagining that Sylvester first instituted this garment as a purely ecclesiastical vestment; some even go the length of assigning a mystical meaning to the colobium, which it superseded. Even Walafrid Strabo, who in many respects is the least mystical of the early mediaeval writers on ecclesiastical vestments, is deceived, though he wisely contents himself with stating the fact that Sylvester had so commanded, without attempting to assign any reason for his so doing.
VII. The Chasuble.—The variety of materials of which the chasuble was made may be gathered from the following extracts from the Lincoln Inventory of 1536:
- 'Imprimis a Chesable of rede cloth of gold wᵗ orfreys before and behind sett wᵗ perles blew white and rede wᵗ plaits of gold enamelled.'
- 'Item a Chesuble of Rede velvett wᵗ kateryn wheils of gold.'
- 'Item a chesuble of Rede sylk browdered wᵗ falcons & leopardes of gold.'
- 'Item a chesable of whyte damaske browdered wᵗ flowres of gold.'
- 'Item a chesable of whyte tartaron̄ browdered wᵗ treyfoyles of gold.'
- 'Item a chesable of purpur satten lynyd wᵗ blew bukerham havyng dyverse scripturs.'
- 'Item a chesable of cloth of tyshew wᵗ orfreys of nedyll wark.'
- 'Item a chesable of sundon browdered wᵗ mones & sterres lyned wᵗ blew bukerham.'
Of the materials here mentioned the commonest were velvet, silk, or cloth of gold.
In the latest days of the transitional and the earliest days of the mediaeval period, there were two kinds of chasubles in use, the eucharistic and the processional. The distinction between them was utilitarian rather than ritualistic; it consisted in a hood sewn to the back of the latter, and designed as a covering for the head during outdoor processions in inclement weather. But the processional chasuble early gave place to the cope; and a hooded chasuble does not appear to be extant in representations of date later than the tenth century.
The manner in which the early chasubles were made seems to have been as follows: A semicircular piece of the cloth of which the vestment was to consist was taken, and a notch cut at the centre, so that the shape of the cloth resembled that of the figure in the annexed diagram; the two straight edges corresponding to the lines AB and CD were then brought together and sewn; the result was a vestment somewhat of extinguisher shape, with a hole in the middle for the neck, and enveloping the body all round to an equal depth each way. The result was that when the priest had to raise his hands the vestment was gathered inconveniently on either shoulder, and probably injured by being crushed, certainly hampering the wearer by its weight. This difficulty was surmounted by a very simple expedient. The cloth, instead of being shaped as before, was cut into an oval form, and an opening was made at the centre for the wearer's head, the consequence being that when in position the vestment hung down over the front and back to some distance, and covered the upper part of the arms, though not sufficiently so to interfere with their free action. The latter shape is that which meets us all through the mediaeval period throughout the Western Church.
