Sleeves with the Communion of the Apostles, mid-17th century.

One of the pair of epimanikion (bases 34 and 24 cm., height 23 cm.) is decorated with the Transmission of the Apostles, while the other with the Communion. In the Transmission, Christ is depicted in front of the Holy Altar, under a canopy, offering His Precious Body to the first of the Apostles, while in the scene of the Communion of the second vestment, He offers His Precious Blood in the Holy Chalice. The apostles, without a halo, emerge from a small house. Both scenes are framed on their vertical sides by vessels with flowers. In the upper part of the first scene is the inscription; “TAKE AND EAT THIS, FOR THIS IS MY BODY”, and in the second “Drink from this ALL, FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD”. The sleeves are embroidered on red velvet with gold and silver thread and colored silk threads, while the halo of Christ is adorned with gems around the circumference. They were made in the 17th century in a folk embroidery workshop, probably in Sinope.