Ways to discover the collection

Art for divine services

In the Middle Ages, special attention was paid to the expression of faith through the ritual arrangement of divine services. This included prayers and hymns as well as the outfitting of the clergy with sumptuous vestments and the lighting of incense and candles. Liturgical vessels and instruments made of precious metals such as chalice and paten, altar crosses, censers and candleholders, but also many ornately worked textiles were an integral part of the solemn ceremony. The textile artworks, which played a significant role in the celebration of Mass and the furnishing of church interiors, were made out of sumptuous materials and were a fixed part of the church treasury.

For reasons of conservation, textiles are not included in the permanent exhibition.