Friday 1 June 2012

Pentecost, Easter and Arthur Romney Green's legs

It is worth briefly explaining how the St Edmundsbury Weavers' Vineyard Poplin and Arthur Romney Green's Holy Table would have functioned in everyday life in St Christopher's Church, Haslemere.   Following various discussions with various learned people it would appear that the following took place:


St Edmundsbury Weavers' Vineyard Poplin altar frontal,
St Christopher's Church, Haslemere

  • The Vineyard Poplin altar frontal would have been the 'everyday' altar frontal, with the grapes and vine leaves and birds in the corn creating a colourful covering for the Holy Table designed by Arthur Romney Green.  The intricate carved legs of the Holy Table would have therefore been hidden from sight.
Arthur Romney Green's Holy Table leg detail,
from St Christopher's Church DFAS record



Holy table by Arthur Romney Green,
(Nicholson, C., and Spooner, C., Recent Eccelesiastical Architecture,
 Technical Journals Ltd., London, c.1910)




  • At Easter the altar frontal would have been removed, just as is done at St Christopher's Church today.  Exposing the carved wooden legs of the altar table by Arthur Romney Green.  
Human Worship of Our Blessed Lord,
by Minnie Dibdin-Spooner 1912-13,
St Christopher's Church, Haslemere
  • The doors to the altar piece would also have been closed to remove the painting of Human Worship of Our Blessed Lord by Minnie Dibdin-Spooner (1912-13) from view.  This painting was exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition of November 1912.  The picture was installed at the church on Easter Eve 1913.  The lettering beneath it is by Eric Gill, who himself was a great friend of Arthur Romney Green.
Vineyard by Edmund Hunter
silk and gold thread, by the St Edmundsbury Weavers
The Victorian Web
  • At Pentecost, at the end of Easter, perhaps not at St Christopher's Church, but maybe in a different church, a similar altar frontal in design to the 'everyday' Vineyard Poplin may have been put on the Holy Table.  That of red and gold silk.  

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