The Steeple Aston Cope is a

cope A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...

made between 1320 and 1340. It is notable for being one of the few surviving examples of English medieval embroidery (also known by the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name ''

Opus Anglicanum Opus Anglicanum or English work is fine needlework of Medieval England done for ecclesiastical or secular use on clothing, hangings or other textiles, often using gold and silver threads on rich velvet or linen grounds. Such English embroidery w ...

''), and is the earliest known depiction of a

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

in England. It was made with silk, silver and gold threads. It was cut up during the

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

and used as an

altar cloth An altar cloth is used in the Christian liturgy to cover the altar. It serves as a sign of reverence as well as a decoration and a protection of the altar and the sacred vessels. In the orthodox churches it is covered by the antimension, which a ...

, among other uses. It was rediscovered in a medieval chest in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the village of

Steeple Aston Steeple Aston is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Cherwell, Cherwell Valley, in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell District of Oxfordshire, England, about north of Oxford, west of Bicester, and south of Banbury. The Unite ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

in the 19th century. The cope belongs to the Church but has been on loan to the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

since 1905. In 2003 it was briefly returned to the Steeple Aston church, and put on display to raise funds for roof repairs.

References

English embroidery Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum 1320s works Roman Catholic vestments Individual garments {{Textile-arts-stub