Such cloths were used to hide the main altar of a catholic church during Lent, the forty-six days before Easter in the religious calendar. In Dutch it is called a Hongerdoek, 'Hunger Cloth', or Vastenvelum ('Fasting Veil'), referring to the time of frugality.
Curatorial information tells that these cloths separated the altar from the space reserved for the congregation. The tradition of hanging up such a cloth dates back to the medieval period, and went out of fashion in the eighteenth century.
The text reads: MARIA . G. GAFEIN . ZV . LIMBVRCH : VND . BRVNCKHORST . FRAWE . ZV MEILENDVNCK . DRACHENFELS : MEIDERICH VND . RVLANT . FREV LEIN . ZV . STIRVMB . WIS . VND . BOR CKELOH . âo : DNI . M . DC . XXIIII
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, digital catalogue.
Willem Vogelsang