St Dominic’s vestment, which dates back to the 1660s and boasts a dramatic history, is to feature in a new book detailing the treasures of the Isle of Wight’s Carisbrooke Castle Museum.

The book will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the museum by sharing the history of the Island through ‘100 Treasures and Curiosities’.

The diocesan treasure features embroidery created by religious sisters who lived in a Belgian community.

In 1794, the sisters were forced to escape Belgium due to the outbreak of the French Revolution, burying the embroidery vestment in Brussels and recovering it two years later before smuggling it into England.

They eventually made their home in Carisbrooke in 1866 at St Dominic’s Priory, and the embroidery was restored in 1940 by sister Mary Hyacinth Graham.

To raise money for the project, the museum team are launching a sponsorship drive with Medina Publishing, encouraging people to sponsor an artefact of their choice.

Rachel Tait, curator of Carisbrooke Castle Museum, said: “I’m excited that this book will be an opportunity to share with the public the museum’s collection of beautiful and significant as well as quirky and intriguing objects, dating from prehistory to the present day and collected over the last 125 years.’’

To discover more about the collaboration, visit the Medina Bookshop website HERE.