A Selection of Antependia from the Fifteenth Through Twentieth Centuries

Antepedia, or altar frontals, have to be one of my favourite liturgical textiles. For one thing, they help to accentuate the altar and they further clothe it in its own kind of of 'vestment.' Second, they have a great deal of ornamental potentiality, ranging from very simple designs that consist solely of beautiful silks and galloons, to this which are more ornate, carrying particular symbolism -- perhaps related to particularly important local or universal feast days for example.  

Whatever the case, antependia are about as close as the vestment artist can get to being presented with a blank canvas upon which to paint with their needle and thread. 

Today we are just going to take a survey of some different antependia, taken from centuries ranging from the fifteenth to the twentieth.  All of these antependia are united mainly by the fact they utilize silk velvets as their base. Why specifically velvets you may ask? Why not would be my response. Velvet is a particularly elegant and noble material and one that frequently doesn't get as much attention as it deserves in our own day -- though why that is, is beyond me. 

My hope is that the designs -- while ambitious -- will help inspire you to consider this beautiful tradition of vesting the altar in your own parishes and oratories, for it is surely a venerable tradition worthy of the dignity of the altar and the sacred liturgy. 

17th cent. with S. Rocco, a sainted-bishop (possibly S. Nicolas) and S. Sebastian.

First half of the 20th cent.

Tuscany, 15th cent. using the classic Renaissance griccia motif. 

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Tuscany, 19th cent.

Detail of the less commonly seen anchor cross

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Black velvet with S. Guiliano, Venice, 16th cent.

Detail of S. Julian

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20th cent. using a silk velvet by Beviliacqua

19th cent. depicting Ss.Peter and Paul

Florentine, 1770-1799

Florentine, 19th cent. Black velvet with kingly memento mori.

19th cent. with the Ave Maria monogram.

Florentine, 1450-1500 -- with an image of St. James the Greater

1788 with the Annunciation.

1759-1763

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