Dalmatic from the White Pontifical Vestments of Spain

A pontifical set of vestments of twenty pieces arrived in Jerusalem in June 1760. This was a gift from Ferdinand VI (r. 1746–59) and his wife, Queen Maria Barbara of Portugal. Originally, these were black vestments, with scenes from the Passion of Christ, used on Good Friday at the Holy Sepulcher. In 1885, however, the vestments were sent back to Spain, where the Sisters Adorers of Valencia painstakingly transferred the embroideries onto a new background of white satin. On one side, the vestments present scenes from the Passion of Christ, while on the other, they feature the royal arms of Spain.