Royal & Noble
Royal & Noble
Property from the Berkeley Collection at Spetchley Park
A floral embroidered silk, metal-thread, and coral cope, Italian, atelier Giovanni Romanini, 19th century, in 18th century style,
No reserve
Lot Closed
January 18, 06:05 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Berkeley Collection at Spetchley Park
A floral embroidered silk, metal-thread, and coral cope, Italian, atelier Giovanni Romanini, 19th century, in 18th century style,
worked in polychrome silk threads with an exuberant scrolling floral vine design with metal thread highlights to the stems, incorporating various brightly feathered birds and small butterflies and moths against an ivory satin ground; the hood is centered with a glory enclosing a coral and metal-thread IHS Christogram with a cross and pierced heart surrounded by scroll work and birds, the hood is edged with gilt metal fringing and the cope edged with gilt-metal braid, the silk lining with the woven label: G. Romanini, Rome
approximately 136cm. high, 273cm. wide; 4ft. ⁵⁄₅ in. high, 8ft. ¹¹⁄₄in.
This beautiful cope in pristine condition and exquisitely worked, and is in the style of the 17th century when there was a proliferation of floral vestments, and often without obvious liturgical symbolism, albeit the hood on the present cope bears the IHS Christogram which would have been identified by the congregation. As the fully embroidered surface is polychrome, it could be used for any purpose and not be limited to particular events within the liturgical colour codes. It includes coral highlights, which along with pearls, beads and precious stones had a renewed appeal, and the coral is used in this hood as an outline and would have been popular on vestments in Naples and Sicily where coral was available. Coral was used for other accessories and there is a 17th century altar frontal and chalice veil with coral highlights in this sale.
Giovanni Romanini, was a 19th century Italian producer of vestments, and was based in Via Torre Millina 26-30, Rome, and made beautiful vestments in historic styles. This included a Papal Mantum, for Pope Leo XIII in 1879, made of red and gold silk lamé, with gold thread orphreys and hood, and incorporating Pope Leo's coat of arms, and worn later by Pope John XXIII during his pontificate (1958-1963).