A work made of silk, warp-float faced 3:1 'z' twill weave with supplementary discontinuous facing brocading wefts forming areas of weft loops (known as bouclé) tied by secondary binding warps in weft-float faced 3:1 twill interlacing and supplementary pile warps forming cut, pile on pile, voided velvet.

Altar Frontal

1480-1550

Spain or Italy

Spain

Velvets fabrics often formed the foundation for the most sumptuous liturgical textiles used by European clergy. The altar frontal, a cloth that covers the front of the altar table, was once decorated with embroidery and it was likely part of a coordinating set of liturgical objects that include priests’ apparel and accessories. Variations of this popular velvet pattern were woven in both Italy and Spain and produced for many decades. A kaftan made of this design was part of the vast wardrobe of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603–17).

Silk, warp-float faced 3:1 'Z' twill weave with supplementary discontinuous facing brocading wefts forming areas of weft loops (known as bouclé) tied by secondary binding warps in weft-float faced 3:1 twill interlacing and supplementary pile warps forming cut, pile on pile, voided velvet

Textiles