- Cover
- Enlarge image
Cover
- Place of origin:
England (made)
- Date:
1600-1650 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown
- Materials and Techniques:
Velvet embroidered with silver-gilt and silver thread and silver-gilt strips
- Museum number:
807-1901
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Beds and their furnishings were the most prominent and costly articles of furniture in the home in the 17th century and a lavishly decorated cover like this would have drawn attention to the bed and displayed the owners' wealth and status.
The embroidery is composed of silver and silver-gilt thread and silver-gilt strips on a red velvet ground and depicts small leafy stems, some bearing roses, honeysuckle, columbines and other flowers, and some bearing grapes. Round the edge of the cover is a repeating border composed of larger stems of similar character. Metal thread is particularly difficult to work with, and work of this quality was therefore usually produced by a professional embroiderer.
