A cope of gold and green silk lampas, with embroidered and metal-thread orphrey panel, Italian, late 16th or early 17th century

A Cope is a an important and impressive vestment and is a full-length and semi-circular cloak. It is fastened across the chest by a decorated tab called a morse. The top edge has an orphrey panel which is a decorated band depicting either saints, martyrs, the Life of Christ, and the Life of the Virgin. Having originally been a cloak with a hood, it has a flat vestigial hood placed on the centre to show on the back of the wearer. The Cope is worn by the priest of minister, for processions inside and outside the church, special occasions and when undertaking 'The Divine Office', which is the recitation of psalms, readings and prayers at appointed times of each day.

At first glance the overriding first impression regarding this Cope is the colour. Mass was celebrated through colour. In the early period of the church the bishop could choose his own colours for Mass and the key events. It was not until 1195 under Cardinal Lothar of Segni that a standardised approach to liturgical colours was outlined through the publication of De sacro sancti altari mysterio. Then in 1200 when he became Pope Innocent III he decreed that the colours should be formalised for the Church calendar. The four colours were White, Black, Red and Green. There are examples of vestments of all these colours in this sale, with references to the symbolism of the colours. The first three colours had allocated events on which they should be worn. However between Lent and Advent, and festivals there was a significant period without an allocated colour. Pope Innocent chose green. It symbolised hope and the expectation of Christ's resurrection. It represented the optimism and life that each day brings. These colours remained unchanged until the Council of Trent in the 16th century, when Pope Pius V introduced the colour violet for use at Lent and Advent, and this introduction remains practice today. The colour was instant recognition by the congregation of the message of the service, at a time when many were illiterate. It was association that was remembered.