Fragment of clergyman's clothing

A rectangular fragment cut from a clergyman's garment, decorated with a floral pattern. The composition consists of repeating lush bouquets of pink and coral-colored peonies, framed by blue-green leaves and golden winding stems.

The fragment of the clergyman's clothing entered the museum's holdings in 1956.

Note: in church tradition, precious liturgical fabrics were never discarded. When a priest's outer vestment wore thin with time or became soiled at the edges, a "sporok" was made from it — the surviving precious pieces of brocade were cut away. This offcut was then used to sew smaller elements of vestments (such as belts or pockets), to make church furnishings (covers for the chalice, curtains, or the decoration of a Gospel), or was passed to the vestry as a historical and material treasure of the church.