Clergy stole, England, 1991

Fabric clergy stole, embroidered with the crest of the British Orthopaedic Association, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, dated 1991.

Clergy stoles are worn by Christian priests and vicars. The green colour of the stole indicates it was worn for most the year apart from holy days. This example is highly unusual as the crest of the British Orthopaedic Association is stitched into one side.

The stole was collected from The Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, which mainly specialised in treatment for children from 1908 until the 1990s. Founded in 1918, the symbol of the British Orthopaedic Association – a bent tree, bound and supported by a straight one – is shown on the left hand side of the stole.