Chasuble embroidery

The embroidery in the shape of a cross was once the central ornament of a luxurious liturgical vestment. It is of extremely high quality and intricacy, using a wide range of embroidery techniques. The draperies of the figures and part of the architectural background were made in the demanding technique of nué or needle painting, while the background is filled with whirling spirals made by laying a number of metallic threads one beside another, across which strong silk thread is stitched in changing rhythms. The halos of the saints and Mary’s crown were originally decorated with tiny freshwater pearls, but only a few have survived. Five figures are embroidered, either full-figured or from the waist upwards. The central figure is Mary with Child, to the left a half-figure of St John the Evangelist in front of an architectural background, and to the right St Mary Magdalene. Below Mary is the figure of one of the four church fathers and below him, St Egidius, who was widely venerated in Slovenia. The style and embroidery techniques are typical of the International Soft Gothic style also practised in the Southern German and Czech lands.