This is a ‘peasant tapestry’ embroidered in linen. Peasant tapestries were designed for a number of different domestic purposes, including portieres, casement curtains and bed hangings. They became very fashionable in artistic circles and were sold through various shops. This example was designed by Godfrey Blount and made at the Haslemere Peasant Industries in 1900.

Haslemere Peasant Industries was a community of artist craftsmen and women, established in Surrey in 1894 in an effort to obtain ‘the double pleasure of lovely surroundings and happy work’. Ironwork, pottery, woodwork, fresco painting, hand-press printing, bookbinding, plasterwork and carving were all produced, but textiles were by far the industries’ most important craft. The first weaving sheds were set up by Joseph and Maud King who specialised in hand-woven plain and figured materials in linen, silk and cotton. From 1896 appliqué and embroideries, such as this example, were produced by the Peasant Arts Society founded by Godfrey Blount and his wife Ethel Hine. Local women were recruited for the workshops and trained in weaving and embroidery techniques.

Godfrey Blount had trained as a painter at the Slade School in London. His designs for embroidered hangings use the simple but very effective technique of linen on linen with linear embroidery in linen thread.