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Pin cushion
Unknown - Enlarge image
Pin cushion
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (embroidered)
- Date:
1600-1630 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Canvas work in coloured silk, silver and silver-gilt thread, with satin back and silver and silk thread tassels
- Museum number:
317-1898
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56e, case 9
Object Type
Pin cushions served both functional and decorative purposes. Used for holding the large numbers of pins required to fasten clothing, they were often richly embellished. Along with expensive combs, brushes, and scents, the pin cushion adorned a lady's dressing table.
Materials & Making
This pin cushion is decorated in canvaswork. Worked in wool, it was a popular form of embroidery, particularly for furnishings such as wall hangings, cushion covers and table carpets. For smaller items, like this pin cushion, silk, silver and silver-gilt threads were often used on a ground of finely woven linen.
Subjects Depicted
The pin cushion bears a pattern of thistles, gilly flowers (carnations), cornflower, rose, borage with a squirrel, birds and insects. These naturalistic forms were typical of the period and match similar designs that decorated clothing.
