Embroidery on an "Ave Maria" banner (and close-up of the figure) at St Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London NW6. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Introducing the various splendours of the church, "H.H.J." writes "The Church , by her Processions, recalls the sacred dance, such as that of David before the Ark, and also reminds her children that she is the Army of God, and that her progress is a march. She is led by the Cross of Christ, which she takes up to follow Him (S. Matt. xvi. 24), and by Incense, which represents the “sweet savour” of Christ (Eph. V. 2), in Whom alone we have victory. And in her ranks, banners are “lifted up as an ensign to the people” (Isaiah lxii.10). We are Christ's captives, yet we swing the censers of His fragrance (II. Cor. ii.14, revised version).
Of the craftsmanship involved, Shawn Tribe writes of processional banners, "Properly done, they can be among some of the most beautiful and striking instantiations of the textile arts within an ecclesiastical and liturgical context." This is certainly true of the banners at this church.
Photographs by John Salmon, with thanks to St Augustine's Church; text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit John Salmon and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Related Material
Bibliography
J., H. H. S. Augustine's Church, Kilburn. A Short Account of Its Structure, Vestments, and Other Works of Art. London: Morton & Burt, 1894. Hathi Trust. From a copy in the library of Princeton University. Web. 28 April 2021.
Legg, Dr. J. Wickham. "Notes on the History of the Liturgical Colours." Transactions of St Paul's Ecclesiological Society. 1885. 95-134. Google Books. Free Ebook.
Tribe, Shawn. "The Genuine Art of the Processional Banner." Liturgical Arts Journal. 28 March 2019. Web. 29 April 2021.
Created 27 April 2021