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Sleeve Panel

1610-1620 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

According to the tailoring methods of the 17th century, sleeves were cut in two pieces. This panel corresponds to the right undersleeve of a woman’s waistcoat. It is worked in an embroidery technique called blackwork, with a single colour of silk, usually black, but also sometimes blue, red or, greenn on linen. Blackwork was particularly popular for dress accessories such as handkerchiefs, coifs, caps, shirts and smocks.

This is a very accomplished example of 17th-century blackwork in the speckling style. The arrangement of tiny running stitches in black mimics the subtle shading of woodblock prints, giving a three-dimensional effect to the pattern. The design is also very skilful in its naturalism, particularly the insects depicted. Grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, caterpillars and beetles, along with a single spider’s web enliven the embroidery.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Linen, silk; hand-woven, hand-embroidered
Brief description
Right undersleeve of a woman's waistcoat of linen blackwork, 1610-1620, British
Physical description
Right undersleeve of a woman's waistcoat, of fine bleached linen embroidered with black silk in stem and speckling stitch. The pattern consists of scrolling stems bearing vine leaves and grapes, with grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies, caterpillars, frogs, a spider web, snail, moth and beetle. A modern backing has been added for support.
Dimensions
  • Overall, approx. length: 61.5cm
  • At top, approx. width: 21.5cm
  • Height: 620mm
  • Width: 220mm
Style
Credit line
Purchase.
Object history
Purchase from the executors of the 3rd Lord Derwent. Purchased together with T.9&10-1950 for 15 pounds.
Subjects depicted
Summary
According to the tailoring methods of the 17th century, sleeves were cut in two pieces. This panel corresponds to the right undersleeve of a woman’s waistcoat. It is worked in an embroidery technique called blackwork, with a single colour of silk, usually black, but also sometimes blue, red or, greenn on linen. Blackwork was particularly popular for dress accessories such as handkerchiefs, coifs, caps, shirts and smocks.

This is a very accomplished example of 17th-century blackwork in the speckling style. The arrangement of tiny running stitches in black mimics the subtle shading of woodblock prints, giving a three-dimensional effect to the pattern. The design is also very skilful in its naturalism, particularly the insects depicted. Grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, caterpillars and beetles, along with a single spider’s web enliven the embroidery.
Bibliographic reference
Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
T.11-1950

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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