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Orphery band on a chasuble. Enlarge

An orphrey band is an embroidered band attached to garments worn by priests or an embroidered band attached to a textile panel hanging in a church. This orphrey band came from a garment worn by a 16th century priest of the Catholic Church. The figure in the top panel is Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child across the river. According to legend, as Christopher carried the child he felt as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. When Christopher asked the child who he was, the child revealed himself as Christ. The figure in the bottom panel is Saint Peter, holding a key. Christ promised Saint Peter the keys to heaven and the key is a symbol of Saint Peter's legendary role as the guardian of the gates of heaven.

The decoration on this orphrey band was handmade with embroidery. Embroidery is the art of decorating a piece of fabric or other background material, with threads that pierce the surface of the material by means of a needle. Although the basic materials used for embroidery are simple, the background material and stitching variations used can produce very sophisticated designs. This orphrey band includes silk thread wrapped in gold!

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