Cleveland Museum of Art

Chalice Veil with Monogram of Christ

Date

1500s

Medium

Bleached linen(?): needle lace (mezza mandolina) with red silk thread

Culture

Italy

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This piece has been identified as a veil used to cover the chalice that holds the wine until the moment of communion in a Catholic Mass. The central monogram (IHS) abbreviates the name of Christ in Greek, surrounded by a circle of rays that indicate a holy symbol. The technique is of needle lace, knotted in an irregular pattern ( mezza mandolina ) and darned in two directions. The monogram for Christ derives from the first three letters in his name in Greek – ΙΗΣΟΥΣ. The Greek letter Σ (sigma) is written as an “S” in English.

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