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Embroidery Design

ca. 1836-1854 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for embroidery in the Berlin wool work technique on paper squared up like graph paper. Each square indicates the position of a cross stitch once the pattern is followed by embroidereing it on a textile. The design, featuring a continous floral chain, is by Sarah Bland (1810-1905) about 1836-1854. This design is in an album which includes Bland's collection of her own botanically accurate designs, simplified patterns from accurate botanical observation, patterns traced from magazines, commercial, printed Berlin wool work patterns, gifts of patterns, including commercial ones from friends and relatives. The designs include those for petit-point, bead-work, decoration for dresses, collars and cuffs, aprons, slippers, tablecloths and covers, cushions, bags, penwipers, initial letters, alphabets etc. In Bland's case, the gift of designs demonstrates connections between relatives of merchant and banking families and is of historical significance in bonding such families.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and watercolour on wove paper
Brief description
Design for embroidery featuring a continous floral chain, ca. 1836-1854, by Sarah Bland (1810-1905).
Physical description
Design in pen and ink and watercolour on wove paper drawn up into sqaures like graph paper featuring a continous floral chain including roses.
Dimensions
  • Height: 7.8cm
  • Width: 20.5cm
Production typeDesign
Credit line
Given by Mrs D. McGregor
Object history
Historical significance: Within the study of embroidery, men tend to be recorded as professional embroiderers or pattern drawers, whereas women worked more ambiguously with designs for embroidery. Women's amateur as opposed to professional designs for embroidery raise problems because amateur work has tended to be regarded as less significant. Embroidery was a pastime but was also an economic activity. Upper middle class women's property was closely linked to their status within the family as daughters, wives and widows and only allowed semi-independence. This semi-independence was underpinned by legal, political, and social practices which subordinated them. Nevertheless, it was combined with recognition of their economic worth within the family enterprise. However, women were restricted as they often could not be openly involved in working for money. See L. Davidoff and C. Hall (Reference Tab). Bland could not be seen to be working but it is likely that she embroidered accessories for dress, penwipers, tablecloths, book covers, and cushions as gifts which were her contribution to the household, wider family, and friendship. The quality of her samplers and designs shows the value of such gifts in terms of relationships with family and friends.

Material about the perceptions of a woman's role is pertinent to the discourse on women and therefore gender history. In Bland's case, the gift of designs demonstrates connections between relatives of merchant and banking families and is of historical significance in bonding between such families.
Historical context
Sarah Bland (1810-1905) was listed as a 'gentlewoman' in the 1851 census return and is not recorded as having any occupation in the census returns for 1871 and 1901 which is consistent with her social status. The
Production
There are three samplers by Sarah Bland in the collection of the Textiles and Fashion Department: T.238-1967; T.239-1967 and T.240-1967.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Design for embroidery in the Berlin wool work technique on paper squared up like graph paper. Each square indicates the position of a cross stitch once the pattern is followed by embroidereing it on a textile. The design, featuring a continous floral chain, is by Sarah Bland (1810-1905) about 1836-1854. This design is in an album which includes Bland's collection of her own botanically accurate designs, simplified patterns from accurate botanical observation, patterns traced from magazines, commercial, printed Berlin wool work patterns, gifts of patterns, including commercial ones from friends and relatives. The designs include those for petit-point, bead-work, decoration for dresses, collars and cuffs, aprons, slippers, tablecloths and covers, cushions, bags, penwipers, initial letters, alphabets etc. In Bland's case, the gift of designs demonstrates connections between relatives of merchant and banking families and is of historical significance in bonding such families.
Bibliographic reference
Davidoff, L. and Hall, C. Family Fortunes, Men, Women of the English Middle Class 1780-1850. Revised edition. London: Routledge, 2002, p.387.
Collection
Accession number
E.372:15/2-1967

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
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