Spectacular Antique Convent Work Religious Beaded Antependium

This is a stunning and incredible hand worked banner, with the use of hundreds of hand sewn glass beads. It originates from the Brittany region of France and dates towards 1900. It would have ornamented a small altar within a countryside parish.

As the countryside parishes did not have the extra money for fine adornments, they profited by the very fine work from nearby convents or monasteries. These handworked, one of a kind textiles were created and stitched with love and devotion. It is hard to imagine the hours spent, especially with the intensive beadwork, to create this sumptuous piece.

The red stitching is placed on a rectangle of fine linen. The thread is of a thick wool cotton in the most luscious shade of crimson. The design of the beadwork would have been by the maker's hand. The glass beads appear as ice crystals when capturing the light, each one sewn individually. There is a running border around the edge using stylized and alternating Greek keys and Maltese crosses. The central Christogram, IHS is worked in block letters with a beautiful budded cross at the center of the "H" (these three buds represent the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the buds can also suggest growing and blossoming faith. A wreath of grape leaves and clusters (symbolic for the Eucharist) encircles the Christogram. These forms within the wreath are so very delicate and realistic.

There is a 1/4" metallic (gilt) braid along the top edge. There is a 1/4" top bare linen canvas border and a 1/2" bare linen border at the bottom. You can see the evidence of the nails which once held the banner into place along the altar (holes are left where the nails were removed). The back of the textile shows the design in reverse with the canvas showing under the glass beading.

It measures: 32" x 8 1/2". The beads are 1/16" glass. It has survived in amazing condition. There are a few missing red stitches at the top border (slight left angle upward from the top of the wreath). There a a slight few missing beads. It survives intact and in good sound condition.

Each convent work example is a precious relic. This is a beautiful historical work of a quality which will never be produced again.