Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development [Paperback]

Herbert Norris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2002

This comprehensive reference by a noted costume authority traces the evolution of clerical attire through the centuries until the end of the 1400s. Vestments depicted and discussed include the simple alb, pallium, chasuble, cassock, surplice, mitre, and accessories such as footwear, crosses, headgear, rings, and gloves. 276 black-and-white illustrations. 8-page color insert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486422569
• ISBN-13: 978-0486422565
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,798,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development, March 15, 2009

By 

Lynne Green "Author of How to Sew Vestments, ... (Arcadia, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development (Paperback)

This is a wonderful little book that explains how vestments came about, with chapters that cover everything from the alb, to the chasuble and even the mitre (the hats bishops wear). For example, why do priests wear stoles? As it turns out, that's from Roman and Greek times during the first century when nobles wore stolas that were used as wear-all-day napkins of a sort - who would have thought? Or when did chasubles come about? Apparently all the common folk used to wear these in the first century, and then later priests continued to wear them as a sign of humility and simplicity, and later as a uniform of sorts so others would recognize them.

Although there is no specific information about modern vestments - i.e. how they are made, fabrics they are made out of, etc. - this is still a great book if you're wondering how all those parts of a vestment set came about. Very easy to read, I thought, and quite interesting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missing something..., October 8, 2007

By 

C. Amodio "krilia" (Fort Wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development (Paperback)

Like all of Norris's books (that I know of, anyway), all works of art are reproduced by hand rather than as photos, so they should be taken with a grain of salt, as usual. He meticulously goes through the various pieces of liturgical garments.

On the other hand, having purchased the book to help me with a historical nun costume, I was disappointed to find almost nothing - just one picture and a few sentences that I could find.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good resource for historical biblical garb, September 11, 2008

By 

Jade Winters "jade" (usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Church Vestments: Their Origin and Development (Paperback)

Good resource for historical biblical garb and for learning the proper names of the garments.