Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland
During the early sixteenth century James IV and James V of Scotland built up significant collections of ecclesiastical textiles. Sadly, later conflicts and religious upheavals led to their dispersal and destruction. This article draws on evidence from inventories and financial records to develop an...
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Winchester University Press
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Royal Studies Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://account.rsj.winchester.ac.uk/index.php/wu-j-rsj/article/view/473 |
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| author | Bess Rhodes |
| author_facet | Bess Rhodes |
| author_sort | Bess Rhodes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the early sixteenth century James IV and James V of Scotland built up significant collections of ecclesiastical textiles. Sadly, later conflicts and religious upheavals led to their dispersal and destruction. This article draws on evidence from inventories and financial records to develop an overview of the vestments, altar hangings, and other liturgical textiles which once adorned Scotland’s pre-Reformation royal chapels. It considers the processes by which liturgical textiles were acquired, the types of vestments and church furnishings present at the Stewart court, and the religious and political messages they conveyed. The article argues that both James IV and James V took a keen interest in religious textiles, at times even personally supervising the choice of materials. This monarchical interest arose from a combination of genuine piety intertwined with a shrewd recognition of the propaganda potential of liturgical textiles. Ultimately, items such as copes and altar frontals are an overlooked aspect of the Stewart monarchy’s use of courtly display to project an image of a cultured, pious, and powerful regime. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-72c4e25261c046f7b4ef933b354664eb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2057-6730 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Winchester University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Studies Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-72c4e25261c046f7b4ef933b354664eb2025-08-20T02:21:46ZdeuWinchester University PressRoyal Studies Journal2057-67302025-06-01121Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of ScotlandBess Rhodes0University of St AndrewsDuring the early sixteenth century James IV and James V of Scotland built up significant collections of ecclesiastical textiles. Sadly, later conflicts and religious upheavals led to their dispersal and destruction. This article draws on evidence from inventories and financial records to develop an overview of the vestments, altar hangings, and other liturgical textiles which once adorned Scotland’s pre-Reformation royal chapels. It considers the processes by which liturgical textiles were acquired, the types of vestments and church furnishings present at the Stewart court, and the religious and political messages they conveyed. The article argues that both James IV and James V took a keen interest in religious textiles, at times even personally supervising the choice of materials. This monarchical interest arose from a combination of genuine piety intertwined with a shrewd recognition of the propaganda potential of liturgical textiles. Ultimately, items such as copes and altar frontals are an overlooked aspect of the Stewart monarchy’s use of courtly display to project an image of a cultured, pious, and powerful regime.https://account.rsj.winchester.ac.uk/index.php/wu-j-rsj/article/view/473Scotlandreligious textilesvestmentsRenaissanceJames IVJames V |
| spellingShingle | Bess Rhodes Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland Royal Studies Journal Scotland religious textiles vestments Renaissance James IV James V |
| title | Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland |
| title_full | Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland |
| title_fullStr | Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland |
| title_short | Kings and Copes: Religious Textiles at the Courts of James IV and James V of Scotland |
| title_sort | kings and copes religious textiles at the courts of james iv and james v of scotland |
| topic | Scotland religious textiles vestments Renaissance James IV James V |
| url | https://account.rsj.winchester.ac.uk/index.php/wu-j-rsj/article/view/473 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bessrhodes kingsandcopesreligioustextilesatthecourtsofjamesivandjamesvofscotland |