A Selection of Historical Antependia for Pentecost

Once again we find ourselves on the cusp of one of the most solemn days of the Church's liturgical year, the great feast of Pentecost. Pentecost, of course, commemorates the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles fifty days after Christ's resurrection. By way of digression, Pentecost is also sometimes referred to as "Whitsunday," a term which is derived from the Old English for "White Sunday." That may sound odd to contemporary ears given that we in the Latin West strongly associate the feast of Pentecost with the liturgical colour red, not white. However, this reference to the colour white comes not from the colour of the liturgical vestments, but rather from the colour of the baptismal robes that were worn by the newly baptized (who were frequently baptized at this time).

That bit of historical trivia aside though, the colour of the liturgical vestments for the feast of Pentecost is, of course, red -- at least in the Western church. Paired with that colour are frequently symbols of the Holy Spirit, such as the symbol of the dove, or flaming symbols representing the tongues of fire that are said to have descended upon the apostles at that time:

And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place:  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them:  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost... (Acts 2:1-4)

With that borne in mind, today I thought I would share a few examples of some historical antependia that were either explicitly intended for use on Pentecost, or which at very least have various Pentecost themed imagery found within them. 

The first such example comes from the second half of the fifteenth century.

This particular antependium is of Florentine manufacture and made from a beautiful red velvet which includes an image of St. James the Greater. The inclusion of St. James suggests that this could well have been particularly meant for use on his feast day of course, but the inclusion of the flames is strongly suggestive of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost. While this could have come with reference to the apostle himself, it could also be that this frontal was employed for both purposes.  Regardless, it is beautiful and certainly pertinent for reason of its Pentecost themed symbolism. 

 

Next we have a slightly earlier frontal dated to the last quarter of the sixteenth century. Unfortunately you are going to have to use your imaginations slightly as the photograph we have of this particular frontal was not particularly well done..

The IHS Christogram -- in the alternative "YHS" form.

St. George

This frontal is likewise made of velvet and in this case we likewise find a saint included -- in this instance, St. George. St. George is placed in the central medallion of the superfrontal (i.e. the upper portion of the antepnedium) but there are also a great number of images that are pertinent to Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, specifically the doves found on the superfrontal and, once again, symbols representing fire. 

Next we have our earliest frontal for your consideration today, dating to the year 1488.  Here again it is made of velvet, includes the IHS Christogram, and in this instance it is also covered in numerous images of doves, from which radiate a glorious, fiery burst of rays, likely intended to represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Finally, we will conclude with an example taken from more modern times. Our final frontal for your consideration today comes from the first quarter of the nineteenth century. It contains a image of the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove, surrounded by a glorious burst of light. 

The image of the dove in this instance is particularly striking; if you look at it closely, it appears to be turning its gaze back toward the nave as though it is engaging with the faithful, inviting them to enter ever more deeply into the mystery of the events of Pentecost.  It is a clever, well-executed, engaging design.

While I rave about this particular depiction of the dove, it must be said that each of these antepnedia are noble and impactful in their own respective ways. Any church would be well served to have the ability to so vest their altar at this great and solemn time of the liturgical year.

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