• Pascal (Afghan hound, wearing a discreet ecclesiastical-style collar in deep crimson)
Book Discussed:
An Annotated Catalogue of Portuguese Ecclesiastical Vestments, 1640,1690 by Father Joaquim de Meneses (Lisbon, 1978; bilingual edition in Portuguese and French; illustrated with 138 black-and-white plates and 17 colour).
1. Opening Remarks
Molyneux praised the book’s “heroically narrow scope,” noting that it “achieves what most art history monographs cannot: to make the reader care deeply about orphrey borders.” He described it as “a cathedral in miniature, woven in silk and gold thread.”
2. Discussion Summary
• Dr. Lorrimer marvelled at the depth of research, especially the chapter on liturgical colour changes following the political unrest of 1640. She admitted to being “genuinely moved” by the diagrammatic fold-out of cope construction.
• India Trelawney declared it “the best-dressed book we’ve read all year,” praising the meticulous descriptions of silver-gilt embroidery techniques. She also claimed,without irony,that she is now considering a chasuble-inspired evening coat.
• Lord Northcote found the annotations “dry as Lenten bread,” but admired the scholarship. He was particularly struck by the subtle political symbolism in vestment iconography, such as the discreetly embroidered Braganza arms following the break with Spain.
• Hugo Van Steyn expressed disappointment at the monochrome plates, calling them “a tragic economy” given the subject. However, he defended the work’s exhaustive provenance research, noting that one tunic’s survival through a convent fire was “as thrilling as any Hollywood chase scene.”
• Max Duclos wondered aloud whether a single garment could bear so much meaning without collapsing under its own symbolism. He also suggested that the colour plates were “teasingly few” and that Father Meneses “knew exactly what he was doing.”
• Fiona d’Abernon confessed she had taken the book to bed “as one might a box of fine chocolates,” reading only a few vestments each night to savour them properly. She was particularly taken with the cope featuring an appliqué of St. Catherine’s wheel.
3. Objects on View
• A 17th-century Portuguese stole in crimson damask (loaned from Pimlico Wilde’s textile collection, displayed under glass)
• Three samples of modern orphrey work, for tactile comparison
• A silver thurible from the same period, whose chain links were compared,favourably,to the finesse of certain embroidered edgings
4. Refreshments
• Aperitif: White port and tonic with a twist of orange
• Canapés: salt cod croquettes, miniature custard tarts (pastéis de nata), and marinated green olives
• Main wine: Dão red, 2017
• Dessert: almond and cinnamon cake, served with sweet Madeira
5. Other Business
• The Silence of Shadows: A Comparative Study of Umbra in Netherlandish Still Life (Van Holt, 1982) suggested as next book.
• Trelawney suggested a possible field trip to Lisbon to see the vestments at the Museu de São Roque; general interest was high.
• Agreement that while Meneses’s prose could be soporific, his dedication elevated the subject to the realm of the sacred.
6. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 11:12 PM after Pascal, without prompting, curled up beside the crimson stole and fell asleep.
