I had the opportunity to repair this antique burse, dated about the early 20th Century.

The burse forms part of the sacred vessels and linens of the mass set for the Traditional Latin Mass. A burse is a square folder that contains the corporal, the most important of the sacred linens. This is because the Body and Blood of Our Lord will rest upon it and any small particles will be safely enclosed within it to be properly purified later. The corporal is folded into three from both sides and placed inside the burse. The burse is placed on top of the other vessels and is sometimes placed standing up on the altar for decoration. There is often a design or decoration on the front, usually in the shape of a cross, like in this example.

For this project the cardboard underneath had disintegrated and needed replacing, as had the lining fabric and some of the stitching had become loose over time. When I unpicked the stitching I was able to give silk lining and gold boarder a thorough wash. These become discoloured over time, often due to the smoke from incense and candles.