Green Chasuble with the Coat of Arms of Balthasar Liesch von Hornau

Roman style chasuble (fiddleback) of the Italian type, with a triangular neck opening. Sewn from bizarre type silk fabric featuring a motif of dark green fanciful plant scrolls on a lighter green ground with vertical pale pink stripes, enlivened with floral motifs in silver, gold, and red, with small accents of azure. Edges trimmed with gold-colored galloon. Applied bands of similar galloon divide the front into three parts and extend down the full length of the back. The tapes framing the neckline also extend to the back, forming a “V” shape on the upper back. On the front, a horizontal band connects the opposite edges at armpit height, with short sections of tape applied on the sides below. On the back, at the bottom center, within an oval cartouche of cream silk fabric, is the coat of arms of Balthasar Liesch von Hornau embroidered in gold, silver, brown, and green thread (shield with three reed maces, surmounted by a bishop’s mitre, stole, and crosier).

Provenance / Notes:
Chasuble from the foundation of Balthasar Liesch von Hornau (1592–1661). This chasuble uses a bizarre type fabric, a technically sophisticated silk characterized by fanciful, bold designs inspired by Indian chintz and Chinese silks, botanical illustrations, and exotic plants (e.g., pineapples).

Typical patterns included oversized, geometricized, or serpentine flowers and leaves, as well as Oriental architectural motifs. The bold coloring (often featuring green, a difficult color to achieve naturally) was highlighted with gold and silver threads. Bizarre silks were produced in Europe in the late 17th and first quarter of the 18th century but were used later, often in liturgical vestments where the simple cut displayed the large-repeat pattern.