Italian
Cope, 1675-1750
Silk velvet, voided and ciselé, 137.2 x 289.6 cm (54 x 114 in.)
This is a large semicircular piece of Italian voided silk velvet approximately 10 feet in diameter. The repeating vertical pattern in the fabric is botanical; dark, cranberry red, cut pile, naturalistic flowers are defined and shaded by lighter red uncut pile on a pale pink voided ground. Sprays of large and small flowers on undulating stem and leaf designs enclose a large, complex, stylized, flower motif. The garment is bordered with a thin strip of gold fabric around its periphery and a line of that gold fabric about a foot from the top straight edge across its diameter.
Titian Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.