Forehead Cloth thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Forehead Cloth

c. 1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Woman's forehead cloth of fine bleached linen embroidered with black silk in double running, stem, satin and speckling stitches and with silver and silver-gilt thread in stem, chain, triple chain (chain worked over double chain) and plaited braid stitches with spider knots. The edge are turned and hemmed with linen thread with decorative over sewing in black buttonhole stitch and silver-gilt thread in knotted buttonhole stitch. Three rows of coiling stems (non complete) enclose (left to right) rose, strawberry, anemone, rose and grape: grape, lily and honeysuckle: rose. Between are leaves, buds, a bird, a butterfly and a caterpillar.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Linen, silk, silver, gold; hand-woven, hand-embroidered
Brief description
Woman's forehead cloth of linen blackwork, England, c. 1600
Physical description
Woman's forehead cloth of fine bleached linen embroidered with black silk in double running, stem, satin and speckling stitches and with silver and silver-gilt thread in stem, chain, triple chain (chain worked over double chain) and plaited braid stitches with spider knots. The edge are turned and hemmed with linen thread with decorative over sewing in black buttonhole stitch and silver-gilt thread in knotted buttonhole stitch. Three rows of coiling stems (non complete) enclose (left to right) rose, strawberry, anemone, rose and grape: grape, lily and honeysuckle: rose. Between are leaves, buds, a bird, a butterfly and a caterpillar.
Dimensions
  • Width: 38.0cm (approx)
  • Length: 18.0cm (approx)
  • Width: 38.1cm (maximum)
  • Length: 17.8cm (maximum)
Credit line
Given by Miss Agnus A. Hepburn and Mrs Margaret Owen
Collection
Accession number
T.26-1975

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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