Oriental Dalmatic

This dalmatic, one of a pair, is part of a religious vestment worn for the celebration of mass, known as the Oriental Vestment. It comprises ten other pieces, namely - chasuble, chalice veil, burse, pair of stoles and three maniples – all made of the same textiles.
They are made from a fabric with exuberant decoration, afforded by the chromatic contrast of colour and the presence of gold thread, which fill the background of the composition. The decorative elements reflect the oriental botanical species such as the lotus flower, the chrysanthemum or thistle, the latter being quite uncharacteristic in the Chinese textile production.
The singularity of these oriental vestments is corroborated by the difficulty in finding similar examples in either Portuguese or foreign collections.