Skirt Border thumbnail 1
Skirt Border thumbnail 2
Not on display

Skirt Border

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Silk embroidery on linen in long-armed cross stitch and stem stitch. The colours are red and yellow-green. Along the bottom and up each seam to a depth of about 8 inches is a narrow meander border with leaves, surmounted by a row of peacocks. On the wing of each peacock and in front of each peacock is a small bird. Along the bottom is a vandyke stitch edging of plaited pillow lace, embroidered with yellow and green. Bands of the same lace run vertically between the sections, and are also embroidered in yellow and green. [Trimming at bottom and between seams called both 'crochet' and 'plaited pillow lace' in the Register.]

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk embroidery on linen with crochet lace trim
Brief description
Embroidered in silk on linen in red and yellow-green; Greek (Crete?); 1700s.
Physical description
Silk embroidery on linen in long-armed cross stitch and stem stitch. The colours are red and yellow-green. Along the bottom and up each seam to a depth of about 8 inches is a narrow meander border with leaves, surmounted by a row of peacocks. On the wing of each peacock and in front of each peacock is a small bird. Along the bottom is a vandyke stitch edging of plaited pillow lace, embroidered with yellow and green. Bands of the same lace run vertically between the sections, and are also embroidered in yellow and green. [Trimming at bottom and between seams called both 'crochet' and 'plaited pillow lace' in the Register.]
Dimensions
  • Length: 75in
  • Width: 10.75in
Credit line
Given by Mrs Lewis F. Day
Object history
Registered File no. 9901/1926.

Historical significance: "The style of the embroidery compares to skirt borders such as 2063 -A-1876, while the peacocks resemble those on the skirt 2049-1876. The crochet border compares to that on 179-1893. All these pieces can be regarded as Cretan. It is, however, unusual to find decorated seams on a Cretan skirt."
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
T.215-1929

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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