There is very little that needs to be said about this stunning cope, and indeed the historical details are somewhat sparse. We know that this cope is thought to have originated out of Spain sometime in the 1500's and certainly its design characteristics are consistent with that in many regards. The desigb shows the Spanish love of ornament, the sixteenth century's love of red velvet and floral ornamentation, and the cope also shows us the characteristic stylistic transitions of this period with its mixture of these vegetal elements with the type of figurative representations that were particularly popular prior to the Renaissance -- in this case, an image of the Virgin and Child, but done with the greater realism that would become characteristic of the Renaissance style.
Photo Credits: Victoria and Albert Museum
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