# Altar Frontal

- By: Italy
- Date: Second half of 16th century
- Medium: Silk and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk, 4:1 satin damask weave with supplementary brocading wefts bound by main warps in weft-float faced 1:4 's' interlacing; edged with gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk, plain weave with supplementary…
- Classification: Religious/Ritual Object
- Dimensions: 100.6 × 124.1 cm (39 5/8 × 88 1/4 in.); Repeat: 56 × 28.2 cm (22 × 11 1/8 in.)
- Culture: Italy
- Credit line: Gift of Edward Morris in memory of his wife
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/86774)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/400d0eb4-9398-1233-f6b5-df1909151e79/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)

Expensive silk and gold textiles featured prominently in the decoration used in European Catholic churches. Because of their cost, precious materials were often recycled and refashioned. This 16th-century textile altar frontal has been augmented with more recent fringe and trimmings around the perimeter. The placement of these new elements echo the style of 16th-century frontals; they may have replaced originals that had become unsightly with age.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0