Antique Vietnamese Catholic Flaming Heart Cross Design Authentic Ecclesiastical Cloth Altar Textile

This vintage Vietnamese Catholic altar cloth features a central dark red flaming heart in the center of a Red Cross. Around the heart are metallic wheat sprays and grapes.  This would have decorated the front of the altar. This is an exceptionally beautiful early 20th century cloth and is among the oldest we have. Regrettably its condition reflects its age and use; it is very worn and somewhat stained. Most people associate Catholicism in Viet Nam with the French colonial period, which is very much the case. However, Jesuits from all over Europe brought Catholicism to Asia 500 years before that. The Catholic tradition in Viet Nam and all the other Catholic populations of Asia is well established. The Catholic population of Vietnam is only about 8% of the total but that is about 7 million people. During certain periods of their history Catholics have been some of the most influential people in the country. One of the largest concentrations of Catholics in Viet Nam