‘Praying with Needle and Thread’ Vestment Exhibition at Tongerlo Abbey, Belgium
NLM Guest Article by Frater Anselm J. Gribbin, O.Praem.
of the Premonstratensian Abbey of Tongerlo
of the Premonstratensian Abbey of Tongerlo
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| click on vestment to make larger |
Recently a number of the older vestments and liturgical accessories from Tongerlo Abbey were examined by an expert from the ‘Centrum voor Religieuze Kunst en Cultuur vzw’, including fifty-four chasubles. All of them – except one - are Latin/Roman style. This year, for our annual exhibition, we have decided to display some of these liturgical vestments in our Da Vinci Museum, which houses a famous replica of Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’. The exhibition, which runs until the end of September, is entitled ‘Praying with Needle and Thread’, and features, among other things, nine chasubles which date from the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council (actually to 1952). Here is a short description of the chasubles – and a burse - which we have further improved upon, with photographs.
The first and oldest chasuble dates from first half of the sixteenth century, and is in renaissance style. It originates from Lier (Belgium) and its thick red-velvet cloth is decorated with intricate symmetrical tendrils, in gold embroidery. The observant eye will see that the cross and column are later additions to the chasuble, and that it has been trimmed – especially at the front - to suit later liturgical tastes : further restorations were made to the vestment in the 1940’s. These additions – possibly taken from another vestment - appear to be from the seventeenth century and are of Italian origin. They consist of pale-rose coloured silk, woven with silver thread, with rose and flower motifs. The images of Our Lady and the Child Jesus are very fine. Our Lady’s crown and the halos of mother and child are decorated with small pearls. Notice that the Child Jesus holds a flower in his right hand, which appears to be a sunflower, which may suggest Eucharistic connotations. The chasuble is part of a pontifical Mass set, which also includes cope, dalmatic and tunicle. These are not featured in the current exhibition, but, exclusively for the benefit NLM readers, here are photographs of the cope and dalmatic, which perhaps give a clearer view of the decorative patterns on the chasuble.
The first and oldest chasuble dates from first half of the sixteenth century, and is in renaissance style. It originates from Lier (Belgium) and its thick red-velvet cloth is decorated with intricate symmetrical tendrils, in gold embroidery. The observant eye will see that the cross and column are later additions to the chasuble, and that it has been trimmed – especially at the front - to suit later liturgical tastes : further restorations were made to the vestment in the 1940’s. These additions – possibly taken from another vestment - appear to be from the seventeenth century and are of Italian origin. They consist of pale-rose coloured silk, woven with silver thread, with rose and flower motifs. The images of Our Lady and the Child Jesus are very fine. Our Lady’s crown and the halos of mother and child are decorated with small pearls. Notice that the Child Jesus holds a flower in his right hand, which appears to be a sunflower, which may suggest Eucharistic connotations. The chasuble is part of a pontifical Mass set, which also includes cope, dalmatic and tunicle. These are not featured in the current exhibition, but, exclusively for the benefit NLM readers, here are photographs of the cope and dalmatic, which perhaps give a clearer view of the decorative patterns on the chasuble.
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