# Cope

- By: Italy, probably Venice
- Date: 1460-1470
- Medium: Silk and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk, warp-float faced 4:1 satin weave with supplementary brocading wefts bound by main warps in weft-float faced 1:4 'S' twill interlacings and with supplementary pile warps forming cut voided velvet
- Classification: Religious/Ritual Object
- Dimensions: 117.5 × 310 cm (46 1/4 × 122 in.); Repeat: 75.7 × 21 cm (29 3/4 × 8 1/4 in.)
- Culture: Venice
- Credit line: Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/50886)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/810e01d5-8652-a6d4-b370-8c0f80d927c9/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Velvet textiles often formed the foundation for the most sumptuous ecclesiastical vestments, or ceremonial attire, worn by European clergy. The cope, a cape-like garment, is worn during processions. It is usually decorated with a band of embroidery, or orphery, on its straight edge. These precious textile components were often separated to increase their value on the art market in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0