The cope dates from the latter
half of the thirteenth century, and is conse-
quently older than that foundation ; but it
appears to have been taken there at an early
period. On the dissolution of the monas-
teries, the cope accompanied the nuns in
their wanderings through Flanders, France,
and Portugal. In the year 1830, the nuns
came back to England from Lisbon, and
brought the cope with them. Thirty-four
years later it became the property of the
nation, and found a permanent home at
South Kensington.
The embroidery is in gold, silver, and
silks of various colours, the linen ground
being completely hidden by needlework. The
cope is covered with interlacing barbed
quatrefoils in red, with gold outline, the
intervening spaces being green. In the
middle, within the topmost quatrefoil is
represented our Lord seated on a throne,
holding the orb in His left hand, and stretch-
ing out His right arm to give His blessing
to His mother, who is seated on the throne
beside Him, with her hands upraised in
prayer.
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