Clothing the Sacred: Medieval Textiles As Fabric, Form and Metaphor

At their most basic level, liturgical vestments and textiles differentiate the sacred and the profane, the clergy and the laity. Not only are they sacred objects in their own right, being consecrated to a holy use, but they point beyond themselves to historical parallels—to events in the life of Christ or to the furnishings of the Jerusalem Temple—or to anagogical symbolism of the heavenly graces. This collection of essays explores the uses and meanings of these medieval religious textiles.