The Cammino motif was a design that came out of the fifteenth century and was characterized by a meandering, horizontal motif ("cammino" translates loosely as journey or path) which is comprised by shapes akin to the petals of a flower which were set into a repeat…
Motifs in Renaissance Vestments: The Cammino Motif
The Cammino motif was a design that came out of the fifteenth century and was characterized by a meandering, horizontal motif ("cammino" translates loosely as journey or path) which is comprised by shapes akin to the petals of a flower which were set into a repeat…
Corallium Rubrum: Italian "Red Gold" in Liturgical Art
C orallium rubrum , or red coral, is the name given to a variety of coral found in the Mediterranean which comes in an orangey-reddish shade from whence we derive the name of the colour called "coral rose" -- a particularly popular variant for rose vestments in the …
The Art of Photographing Catholic Liturgies and Liturgical Rites
In this current age of social media and instant news, the crucial role of Catholic photographers devoted to the sacred liturgy is forever being highlighted. They help deepen the knowledge of those who see their photos, creating their own new kind of mainstream Christian ico…
Solemn Versus Ordinary Ornaments: A Comparison of Two Chasubles
The two vestments shown here both belonged to the same prelate and as such present us with a good opportunity to make an "apples to apples" comparison in the differentiation that typically is made between regular, day to day liturgical ornaments versus those which…
The Tradition of the Rosa d'Oro (Golden Rose) of Laetare Sunday
The tradition of the golden rose, or rosa d'oro , is one that many may not be familiar with. It is, precisely as the name suggests, a rose fashioned in gold which, for centuries, popes would confer as a gift upon royals and nobles, even cities, that had demonstrated a pa…
More Examples of Lenten Veils -- the "Velum Quadrigesimale"
In the past, we have spoken of the Lenten veil before -- the "velum quadrigesimale." To summarize in brief, it is a kind of visual or aesthetic form of fasting. Just as one might opt for more sober vestments during Lent (not necessarily of course, but it was an o…
Six Altar Crosses from the Sixteenth Century
Liturgical metalwork frequently takes a back seat in popular interest to items such as sacred vestments, but alongside vestments, the ornaments of the altar such as candlesticks, cross, thurible can be amongst some of the most significant in setting the 'tone' of th…
Lessons in Liturgical Arts History As Seen Through Liturgical Advertisements
If you are ever browsing through copies of Liturgical Arts Quarterly (LAQ), especially those dating from prior to the 1950's, one of the areas of the periodical that you might be tempted to skip past are the glossy pages found at the back of each issue which was a secti…
St. Charles Borromeo's Instructions on the Vesting of the Altar (Antependia and Altar Linens)
Continuing on with our considerations of St. Charles Borromeo's lesser discussed instructions around the liturgical arts, we turn today to one of my own favourite topics, the antependium (or altar frontal). In addition to this, while we are on the subject of the vesting…
St. Charles Borromeo's Instructions on the Form of the Tabernacle, Altar Cross and Candlesticks
St. Charles Borromeo was the Cardinal Archibishop of Milan, home of the Ambrosian rite, and there is always plenty of interest in St. Charles' liturgical instructions. It should be noted these liturgical instructions were issued by him for those under his jurisdiction a…
Romanitas: The Traditional Use of Fragrant Greenery for Processions
If you stumble around Rome enough, you'll eventually run into some old Roman customs that have, fortunately, been hung onto despite the turbulence of the past half century. In the Handbook of Christian and Ecclesiastical Rome by M.A.R. Tuker and Hope Malleson they menti…
A Brief Survey of Neoclassicial Vestments from 1760-1850
Neoclassicism was a movement which rose between the period of approximately 1760-1850. The movement was one which finds its originations in Rome, popularized by the writer Johann Joachim Winckelmann, following the rediscovering of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and the…
The Sacred Liturgy as Art: A Benedictine Monk Writes in 1936
[The following essay is taken from Liturgical Arts Quarterly , 1936, volume 5, no. 2. Contextually it should be noted that the context in which Dom Hammendstede writes was that of the classical Roman liturgy -- or what we today refer to more commonly as the "usus antiq…
Romanesque Revival in Rome: Santa Maria Addolorata a piazza Buenos Aires
If one wishes to see how to make a new building look and feel antique, then one need look no further than the Roman church of Santa Maria Addolorata a piazza Buenos Aires (and if one is in Rome, one must make certain to specify "a piazza Buenos Aires" as there is…
Motifs in Renaissance Vestments: The Pomegranate Pattern
One of the most popular renaissance motifs, perhaps the most popular, was called the Pomegranate pattern. It should be noted that while the design is specifically referred to in relation to the pomegranate fruit, the design also included elements such as pine cones (pigna),…
Bertram Goodhue and the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City
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If you want to see gothic revival at some of its very best in North America, one need only look to the beautiful Dominican church of St. Vincent Ferrer, located in Manhattan (New York City) to see an example of the genre at its height. In the British sphere, we are accustom…
Some Examples of Historical Processional Lanterns
Processional lanterns are an item that were once commonly used within the Latin rite but is one of those elements that has become less noticeable since the post-conciliar period -- although there is no such necessity let it be noted; it is merely symptomatic of a continuati…
Another "Everyday" Solemn Mass Set from Renaissance Florence
I wanted to take yet another look at an "everyday" set of Renaissance vestments, once again coming from the workshops of Renaissance Florence -- the very heart and soul of the renaissance of course. This particular set is dated to the second half of the sixteenth …
Pew Edition Hand Missal Booklet from St. Kevin's Parish, Harrington Street (Archdiocese of Dublin)
One of my favorite "Latin Mass" success stories is the wonderful parish community of St. Kevin's in Dublin, Ireland. There you will find one of the most enjoyable, friendly, accommodating, and inviting Latin Mass communities in the English-speaking world. Vi…
Review of Recent Work by Catholic Painter Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs
Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs, a painter we have featured on LAJ before , will already be someone who is familiar to a number of our readers, and a recent article about her ongoing work for the baptistery of St. Joseph's Cathedral in Jefferson City, Missouri put to mind that i…
Before and After: The Episcopal Throne of St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines, Iowa
Sometimes very simple changes that can make a difference. A recent example that came to light by way of Ecclesiastical Studio and Sons was a project they pursued in relation to the cathedra (i.e. episcopal throne) of St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines, Iowa. There were, in…
Purple Need Not Mean Plain - Examples of Ornamental Violet Vestments Down the Centuries
Violet is a liturgical colour associated with penitential seasons such as Advent and Lent -- and traditionally other times too such as Septuageimsa and the vigils of certain important feast days. Because of this, there is an argument some will make to having violet vestmen…
The Solemn Mass Set of the Bishop Luigi Ruzzini, Brother of the Doge of Venice
Made between 1698-1708, this set belonged to Bishop Luigi Ruzzini (1658-1708), a native originally of Venice who was ordained a priest in 1696, serving at the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, whose was then appointed bishop of Bergamo only two years later by Pope Innocent X…
Venetian Gothic: The Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo
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As mentioned in another article, Venetian gothic is a style that, drawing from its history as a port city, combines the classic gothic pointed arch and merges it with Byzantine influences from Constantinople and Arabic influences derived from the Spanish Moors. The net res…
The Church of San Simeon Piccolo in Venice
Of San Simeon Piccolo in Venice, Napoleon is said to have stated that he had seen many churches without a dome in his lifetime but he had never before seen a dome without a church. Of course, his jest has to do with the proportions of the great dome of San Simeon Piccolo in…
Chasuble and Missal Cover of Cardinal Giuseppe Sacripante (1642-1727)
Cardinal Giuseppe Sacripante (1642-1727) seems to have been a man of very great taste in the design of vestments. This is the second vestment of his that we have featured, the other being an exquisite example in purple. Certainly his position was such that it warranted as …
Venetian Copes of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
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Venetian gothic is a form of the gothic style that includes oriental and Arabic influences -- a result of its interaction and trade with these cultures. This interaction has led to a distinctive style whose pointed arches and design elements have a distinctly Moorish and Ar…
Thoughts On the Use of Palms in Churches
Well-placed areca palms that remain green year-round can add a touch of elegance to the sacred liturgy and can help add color to any auspicious worship space. Palms evoke Biblical imagery and sometimes they are even depicted in frescoes and murals. Historically, palm plants…
The Other Modern: Sint-Agneskerk in Amsterdam
Continuing with our Other Modern series, we now turn to Sint-Agneskerk in Amsterdam. The church which was built between 1919 and 1931, designed by architect Jan Stuyt. The bones of the architecture of the church is Romanesque revival, following a fairly typical basilica pa…
Vestments of Cardinal Saverio Canale (1766-1773)
Cardinal Saverio Canale was made cardinal deacon of Santa Maria della Scala in 1766 by Pope Clement XIII. He hailed from a family of the Italian aristocracy. There isn't a great deal that I have to say about the cardinal himself, but what I would point your attention to…
