Bishop’s Miter

Vietnam

Late 20th century

Silk

Miters are worn primarily by bishops in Roman Catholic and other Christian churches when performing important liturgical ceremonies. As with many tall hats, its height reinforces the importance and dignity of the person wearing it. The Miter consists of front and back parts, which symbolize the Old and New Testaments respectively.  

This Miter once belonged to a bishop in Vietnam. In the 1600s, Catholic missionaries introduced Christianity to the country. The religion became well established in the late 1800s when, as part of Indochina, Vietnam was colonized by the French, which lasted until its liberation in 1954.