Thursday 8 October 2009

Carthusian Vestments: Updated

Yesterday at the blog The New Liturgical Movement, a series of interesting images were reproduced of the celebration of Mass according to the Carthusian Use. One is of more obvious interest to us here, the frontispiece of a Carthusian Missal, printed in Lyon in 1713. Adjacent is a cropped version of that frontispiece. This would appear to depict the celebrant on the step of the altar giving the minister the absolution after the Confiteor.

UPDATE: An earlier edition of this Missal, published in the Duchy of Savoy in 1679 has the same frontispiece. I suspect that the image itself was engraved earlier in the 17th  century.

The celebrant is shewn wearing a ground-length linen alb, with quite close-fitting sleeves: very typical of the period. The chasuble is quite interesting as depicted, because it is very long, reaching almost the full length of the alb (as directed by Saint Charles Borromeo). It is also pointed, front and back, which is more reminiscent of the mediaeval chasubles of Northern Europe.

This chasuble differs from that style of chasuble shewn in the various paintings and sculptures of Saint Philip Neri (one is shewn adjacent), which have a rounded finish along the lower edge, back and front. This chasuble is also not quite as wide as these "Philip Neri" chasubles, not reaching the elbow.