Chasuble (Opus Anglicanum)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Embroidery produced in England from the thirteenth through the fifteenth century was so celebrated that it was known simply as opus anglicanum (English work). This chasuble is one of the finest surviving examples. Depicted on the front are Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, and James. On the back are the Coronation of the Virgin, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Annunciation as well as inscriptions. This chasuble, a sleeveless mantle worn by the priest during Mass, was trimmed down in the sixteenth century to conform to current fashion. As a result, the heads of Saints John the Evangelist and John the Baptist were, alas, cut away.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art