Among the most fascinating textiles cared for by Norwich Cathedral’s Broderers’ Guild is the Bishop of Norwich’s historic Birkbeck Cope, a garment that has witnessed many great moments in time.
Made in 1902 together with a matching mitre and morse, the cope was worn that same year by Bishop Sheepshanks at the coronation of King Edward VII. In 1916 it was given to the Cathedral by William John Birkbeck of Stratton Strawless, and over the century since it has been worn by successive Bishops of Norwich at key ceremonies and processions.
The cope was designed by Sir Ninian Comper, regarded as one of the finest Gothic Revival architects of the 19th and 20th centuries, whose work includes churches across the country, Westminster Abbey and Wymondham Abbey. It was made by the Society of the Sisters of Bethany in Clerkenwell, London, from Russian cloth of gold interwoven with green and rose-coloured silks, a cloth originally designed for the Emir of Bokhara. The hood is beautifully embroidered with the scene of the Annunciation.
The Birkbeck Cope is just one of the many precious historic and modern works looked after by the Broderers’ Guild, a dedicated group of volunteers who have cared for the Cathedral’s textiles since 1998 and who also undertake specialist work for other churches and organisations across the country.
To find out more about the Guild and its workshop tours, click here.
See all of wonderful Threads of Faith entries here.
