Chasubles, dalmatics, copes, stoles, mitres, maniples, gloves, boots, palls and velums belonging to the Diocesan Museum and parishes from the Diocese of Siedlce make up a significant collection of liturgical vestments in Podlasie. The museum’s collection was re-inventoried last year, revealing the richness of the variety of fabrics, weaves and types of embroidery and lace. The extra-museum inquiry took place in just a dozen of the 247 parishes located in the diocese. The study was conducted in the sacristy of the Cathedral in Siedlce and in the parish in Biała Podlaska, Horbów, Huszcza, Janów Podlaski, Komarówka Podlaska, Łuków, Mordy, Ulan, Wohyń, Woskrzenice and Zbuczyn. The visits showed a great need for a complete inventory of the objects withdrawn from the liturgy, which, unfortunately, are often forgotten and slowly destroyed.

The articles gathered at the Exhibition were made between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 20th century and allow us to see the achievements of weaving manufactories from Europe and the Middle East. From the beginning of the diocese’s existence, its location on trade routes contributed to the rapid arrival of technological and artistic innovations. In addition, rich noble families did not skimp on funds to equip parish and monastic churches. Due to these two factors and the striving for splendor in liturgy, a large number of such monuments have survived to this day.

The fabrics presented at the Splendor of Podlasie Exhibition are shown chronologically. The oldest is the chasuble made around 1480, which comes from the church of St. John the Baptist in Sadowne (now the diocese of Drohiczyn). The most colorful are the items from the workshop of Anna Radziwiłł nee Sanguszko in Biała. The most beautiful floral and ornamental compositions come from the manufactories in Lyon. Particularly noteworthy are the liturgical vestments which are sewn with noble kontush sashes. We are convinced that the fascinating world of old fabrics will give everyone a special experience.

Entering a name of the type of object, locality or element of the technique in the search engine on the Exhibition website gives an opportunity to find information about the selected object or its component. Photographs with zooming option allow us to look at the details, and the description of the item indicates both the technical peculiarities of its creation and its history.

In this difficult for museums year 2020, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with this splendid part of the cultural and religious heritage of Podlasie using computer screens, and in the near future, we hope for a meeting in the rooms of our facility.