Vatican Cope - Acupictrix - Dr Jessica Grimm

Vatican Cope - front cover of the book with a part of the Vatican cope on a black background

The Vatican Cope published by Brepols – Book Review

Brepols recently published the second monograph on an Opus anglicanum embroidery: the Vatican Cope. In 2022, I reviewed the first monograph on the Bologna Cope. As the name suggests, the Vatican Cope is on display in the Vatican Museums – I wrote about my visit here. At €125 + VAT Read more

By Acupictrix - Dr Jessica Grimm, 3 weeksOctober 20, 2026 ago

Opus anglicanum - an example of a face stitched in fine directional split stitch.

13th century

Opus anglicanum: the late 13th-century Vatican Cope

Several Italian museums hold Opus anglicanum embroidered vestments. On the one hand, this is a testament to the popularity of Opus anglicanum among European clergy in the 13th and 14th centuries. However, it was also the result of the Italians remaining Catholic while England underwent the destruction of the Reformation. Read more

By Acupictrix - Dr Jessica Grimm, 2 yearsMarch 3, 2025 ago