thumb|White maniple, with a fastening cord
The maniple is a liturgical vestment used primarily within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and occasionally by Lutheran and Anglican clergy. It is an embroidered band of silk or like fabric that hangs from the left forearm, worn over the alb. It is used only during Mass, and it is always of the same liturgical colour as other Mass vestments.
The original purpose of the maniple is unclear, but it probably originated as a cloth that the priest could use to wipe his hands and face. The maniple corresponds to the epimanikia, cuffs worn on both wrists in the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran and Eastern Catholic Churches.
Historical origin
Originally, the maniple was likely a piece of linen which clerics used to wipe their faces and hands, and has been described by some modern commentators as being akin to a handkerchief. This echoes the rhymed vesting prayer the priest says when putting on the maniple: