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Pall

Modern pall that covers a coffin. Modern pall that covers a coffin.

One of the various meanings of the English word 'pall' is that of a large cloth usually of black, purple or white velvet, which is spread over a coffin, hearse or tomb. This meaning came into general use by the mid-fifteenth century. Several embroidered palls from England from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries have survived, including the Bakers’ Pall, the Fishmongers’ Pall, the Sudbury Pall and the Fayrey Pall.

The 'pall' used for the cover of a hearse is also known as a hearse cloth.

See also coffin quilt

Source: Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: ‘Pall’.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 9 July 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Tuesday, 14 February 2017 19:34