Cope of the Order of the Golden Fleece

The cope of the Order of the Golden Fleece, or nué, early 15th century, The Netherlands. Copyright Kaiserliche Schatzkammer, Vienna.

The Kaiserliche Schatzkammer in Vienna, Austria, houses a remarkable cope that dates to the early fifteenth century and was produced in the southern Netherlands or beyond. It is worked in the or nué technique, with couched gold thread embroidery. This technique was popular in The Netherlands in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The cope measures 164 x 330 cm.

The cope forms part of the so-called Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece, themselves part of the Treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece, many objects of which are displayed in the Kaiserliche Schatzkammer in Vienna. The Order of the Golden Fleece was established in AD 1430 by the then Duke of Burgundy. It still exists, and unites many members of the Catholic nobility of Europe. The design of the decoration on the cope and dalmatics of the set are linked to the work of Rogier van der Weyden, while the altar frontal, also part of the set, is compared to the work of the Master of Flémalle.

The cope is generally called the Marienmantel (Virgin Mary's cope), because of its depiction of the Virgin Mary in the centre of the garment. Note that almost all of the saints represented on the cope are female. As with other or nué garments, the vestment has a linen ground material and is decorated with gold thread embroidery couched down with silk thread.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, online catalogue (retrieved 31 October 2016).

Last modified on Sunday, 05 February 2017 16:57

Published in Religious vestments and other textiles