I’m not usually much interested in vestments, in the same way as weapons, ceramics and silverware never really attract my attention in museums. But this one had an interesting story, and I can’t resist something with a bit of an intriguing history.
The cope, which is namely a ceremonial cloak, was made in England in the early sixteenth century. It was designed to be made for export and it’s quite a glamorous little effort which was initially destined for the Carthusian order near Grenoble. And it would have stayed there if it wasn’t for the Napoleonic troops that were storming across France closing down monasteries and seizing their possessions.
The last prior of the monastery in Grenoble evidently wasn’t entirely convinced about this end of Catholicism so he fled and took this cloak with him. His destination was Dorsten in Westphalia and the cope remained at St. Agatha’s Church in the town until 1910, when it was acquired by the museum. I can sort of imagine this being packed up by an angry French prior who was probably very happy where he was without all this moving hassle.
I quite like that this is an English cope, designed to be used in a French monastery but which ended up in a German church for various political reasons. And the museum seems very proud of this exhibit which depicts the Virgin Mary in the centre surrounded by the trappings of angels and bells. Very decadent.