Embroidered miniature of a lady
Miniature
ca.1800 (made)
ca.1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
A label on the back of the miniature credits this as a portrait of the actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831), although this is not now considered to be the case.
Needlework was considered and important part of a 'well-bred' young woman's education in the 18th and 19th centuries, and sampler making, tambour work and decorative embroidery was mostly carried out by girls and women who had the leisure time. Fabric could be bought with designs already transferred but some domestic embroiderers would have been able to design their own patterns and transfer them using the prick and pounce method.
Needlework was considered and important part of a 'well-bred' young woman's education in the 18th and 19th centuries, and sampler making, tambour work and decorative embroidery was mostly carried out by girls and women who had the leisure time. Fabric could be bought with designs already transferred but some domestic embroiderers would have been able to design their own patterns and transfer them using the prick and pounce method.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Embroidered miniature of a lady (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Embroidery on silk |
| Brief description | Embroidered portrait on painted silk in gilt wood frame of a late 18th-century or early 19th-century lady. Undated, with the embroidered monogram signature 'HE' |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| Summary | A label on the back of the miniature credits this as a portrait of the actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831), although this is not now considered to be the case. Needlework was considered and important part of a 'well-bred' young woman's education in the 18th and 19th centuries, and sampler making, tambour work and decorative embroidery was mostly carried out by girls and women who had the leisure time. Fabric could be bought with designs already transferred but some domestic embroiderers would have been able to design their own patterns and transfer them using the prick and pounce method. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.641-1997 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 20, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
