The Chasuble of Thomas Becket: A Biography

One of the most magnificent medieval textiles in the Mediterranean region is the Chasuble of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered by the knights of King Henry II and canonized three years later by decree of the Roman Catholic Church. According to the Cathedral of Fermo, which holds the chasuble, the embroidered blue silk vestment was donated to Fermo by Bishop Presbitero in the twelfth century. But despite its importance, its outstanding preservation, and the presence of Arabic inscriptions, the chasuble has never been the subject of a comprehensive study.
With The Chasuble of Thomas Becket, art historian Avinoam Shalem is joined by an internationally renowned group of experts-- Miriam Ali-de-Unzaga, Birgitt Borkopp-Restle, Ariane Dor, David Jacoby, Marta Jaro, Germano Liberati, Ursula Nilgen, and Regula Schorta--in offering a new reading on this unique historical vestment. Contributions examine what we can determine about the chasuble's manufacture; thoroughly assess its inscriptions, including with regard to the process or transculturation in a new Christian context in the Cathedral of Fermo; and reconsider its historical and mercantile context within the Mediterranean region, Muslim Spain, and Italy.

Avinoam Shalem is the Riggio Professor of the History of the Arts of Islam. He is the author or editor of ten books, including, most recently, The Image of Muhammad Between Ideal and Ideology: A Scholarly Investigation.