A Set of Gold Vestments with the Trinitarian Eye

One of the most popularly misunderstood symbols in some parts of the world is that comprised of a triangle with an eye placed within it. Now symbols are the sort of thing that can have various meanings assigned (or re-assigned) to them of course, but within a Western Christian liturgical context, this symbol of an eye surrounded by a triangle is actually a Trinitarian symbol, sometimes also coming with symbolic reference to God the Father specifically, to Divine Providence, or to God's omniscience. 

If one goes to Rome's church of Ss. Trinita dei Pellegrini, for example, one will find this symbol in clear evidence on various of the parish's historical vestments -- quite fitting for a parish dedicated to the Holy Trinity -- and this symbol can certainly be in other churches, as well as in other examples taken from sacred art, such as Pontoron's 1525 paining of the Last Supper. 

Detail of Pontormo's "Cena in Emmaus,' 1525.

I mention this Trinitarian association both to explain why we are featuring this particular set of vestments today -- being that it is so close Trinity Sunday -- and also to get ahead of the potential questions and misunderstanding that may revolve around this oft misunderstood Trinitarian symbol.

The set in question was made in the last quarter of the 1700's and is made of a beautiful, yellow gold silk moiré fabric with silver metallic embroideries.  The cope is that which bears the specific image of the Eye and the set generally contains Eucharistic references in the form of the symbols of wheat and grapes (i.e. bread and wine), as well as two beautiful embroideries of the Lamb of God -- one placed in the centre of the humeral veil, the other on an associated superfrontal that was made for the set. 

Detail of the hood/shield of the cope

Stole and Maniple

Chalice Veil

Humeral veil

Detail of the Agnus Dei found on humeral veil

Detail of the superfrontal with its Lamb and Seven Seals of the Book of Revelation as well as its Eucharistic shafts of wheat.

The final thing I would note here is that this particular set must have been meant for a larger church or perhaps a religious house, because in addition to all of these pieces, the set also comes with two additional copes, thus making for three copies in total -- which could certainly be used within the context of solemn celebrations of Vespers and the like. 

One of the two secondary, non-primary copes taken from the set

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