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The Project Gutenberg eBook, Jacobean

Embroidery, by Ada Wentworth Fitzwilliam

and A. F. Morris Hands

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Title: Jacobean Embroidery

Its Forms and Fillings Including Late Tudor

Author: Ada Wentworth Fitzwilliam and A. F. Morris Hands

Release Date: August 2, 2006 [eBook #18971]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JACOBEAN EMBROIDERY***

E-text prepared by Stacy Brown, Julie Barkley,

and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

(http://www.pgdp.net/)

Jacobean Embroidery

Its Forms and Fillings

Including Late Tudor

ADA WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM

AND

A. F. MORRIS HANDS

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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Jacobean Embroidery, by Ada Wentwo...

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PUBLISHERS' NOTE.

Plates 1, l0a, 11, 12 (part of), 20 and 23 have already

been published in "Needlecraft Monthly Magazine" and

are included in this collection by permission of the Editor.

LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER AND CO. LTD.

BROADWAY HOUSE, CARTER LANE, E.C.

1912

CONTENTS

Introductory History by A. F. Morris Hands.

Op. I Tudor Work.

Op. II Early 17th Century.

Op. III Details of Blue Crewel Work (the late Lady Maria Ponsonby's).

Op. IV The uses of Stem Stitch and other characteristics.

Op. V Bed Hangings at Hardwicke Hall.

Op. V a Groups of Fillings in which darning plays important part.

Op. VI Bed Hanging from Powis Castle.

Op. VII Characteristic Foliations and Late 17th Century Fillings.

Op. VIII Solid Crewel Work 18th Century including the Terra Firma and

different birds and beasts.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate

1 Strip of Tudor Work.

2 Group of leaves on cushions at Knole Park.

2 a Group of light details in early examples.

3 Details from old example, carried out in dark blues, belonged to the

late Lady Maria Ponsonby.

4 Ditto.

5 Ditto.

6 Ditto.

7 Detail of Foxglove design.

8 Colour plate—Detail from old Bed Hangings, dated 1696.

9 Detail from old Bed Hangings, dated 1696.

10 Large heavy leaf in work dated 1696.

10 a Leaf showing seven different stitches.

11 Bed Hanging at Hardwicke.

12 Set of details (in colour) of Hardwicke design.

13 Set of details of Hardwicke design.

14 Group of Fillings.

15 Design of Bed Hangings at Powis Castle.

16 Characteristic leaf of best period.

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17 Ditto.

18 Late 17th Century Fillings.

19 Fillings from Georgian copy of old example.

20 Stem of leaf in Solid work (colour plate).

21 Examples of different leaves.

22 Ditto.

23 Colour plate— Terra Firma .

24 Birds and Beasts characteristic of Jacobean design.

25 Ditto.

26 Ditto.

27 Ditto.

INTRODUCTION

O redeem the monotony of plain surfaces has ever been the aim of all the arts, but

especially that of the needle, which being the oldest expression of decorative

intention, has, from the earliest time, been very dependent on its groundwork for

its ultimate results. This is particularly the case in embroideries of the type of what

is commonly known as Jacobean, where the ground fabric is extensively visible, as

it is also in that wondrous achievement, the Bayeux tapestry worked in coarse

wools upon homespun linen and therefore quite miscalled "tapestry."

Inaccuracy in nomenclature is one of the stumbling blocks the student encounters, and the

tendency of the day to classify "styles" by the restricted formula of monarchical periods is

likewise misleading. No style is ever solely distinctive of one reign, or even one century, the law

of evolution rules the arts as it does nature, there is always a correlation between styles in art

and circumstances of existence that is productive of gradual changes of taste, therefore,

pronounced evidences in design are, actually, the culminating point in a course of combined

influences which have reached the period of individual expression.

Crewel work of the type of Jacobean, was the outcome of that earlier wool embroidery that

even in the zenith of fame of the Ecclesiastical broderers still quietly went on its way.

In the middle ages, furnishing of rooms was scanty, and embroidered hangings, cushion and stool

covers provided the necessary notes of colour and comfort; the wall hangings of the 13th

century were of coarse canvas decorated with a design executed in wools.

It is curious how in English embroideries there has always been a predilection on the part of the

designers for interlacing stems, and for the inconsequent introduction of birds and beasts.

Mons de Farcy, author of La Broderie du Onzième siècle jusqu'à nos jours , remarks that "it

seems that the position of England, surrounded by the sea on all sides, has provoked in its

inhabitants the passion of travelling over the sea, and they came to know, before continental

nations, of the parrots and other birds of brilliant plumage so often reproduced in their

needlework." [1]

Mrs. Christie, an English authority on Embroidery, admirably sums up the evolution of designs

when she writes "Examination of old Embroideries gathered from all parts of the world shows

that each individual specimen, every flower and bud, is a development of some existing form,

and is not an original creation, invented, as some appear to think all designs are, upon the spur of

the moment." In the creation of a design it is a case of assimilation of the fittest and the

elimination of the unsuitable from existing examples, thus the interlacing stems of the work of

the 14th century became grafted on to the version of the Tree of Life idea in the Oriental

designs that came to England in the 16th, through the intercourse opened up by the formation of

the East India Company, at the end of Elizabeth's reign.

To deem, as do some writers, the bold, rather ponderous crewel work of the 17th century, sole

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outcome of the importation of the Palampores of Musulipatan, is to ignore all the tendencies

manifested in the embroideries of previous centuries; in the same way, to repudiate the

emblematical significance of special features markedly introduced into old designs, is to betray a

complete lack of knowledge of the mind and manners of the people of superstitious days.

Knowledge was not rapidly acquired, and even as late as the 17th century was largely

disseminated through the country by allegorical narratives, while emblematical lore reflected the

history of the immediate moment. There was in the poetry and in the embroidery of Elizabeth's

day, a sportive quality which was not likely to be checked under the Stuarts, doubles entendres

were not confined to jests! and the political and religious differences of opinion, rampant

throughout the period, found expression in the most fantastic ways.

The Stump Embroidery, in vogue at the same time as the crewel hangings specially treated in

this volume, was full of symbolism, and naturally the same inspiration directed the worker in

crewels. Curiously enough, both these very different types of needlework, crystalised into

individuality concurrently, yet one is usually designated Jacobean, the other referred to as

Stuart. In this connection it is well also to remember, that the Stuart era extended, historically,

from 1603 to 1714, viz. , from the reign of James I (Jacobus) to that of Queen Anne, daughter of

James II.

Queen Anne is so often relegated, in the public mind, to an isolated position, genealogically, and

the pronounced developments in the changes of taste that took place at the commencement of

the of the 18th century, left such a very definite impression, that she is rarely remembered as a

Stuart; it was in her reign, however, that the vogue for the old crewel embroideries revived, and

though differences of treatment crept in, the designs, were, in the main, purely Jacobean, being

copies or adaptations of patterns popular in the middle of the 17th century. It is these copies that

exist mostly to-day, few, indeed, are those hangings which pertain to the earlier date, but a study

of those few, taken in conjunction with the still fewer that remain of the 16th century, prove the

gradual growth of the designs that have the tree motif which makes them all kin.

Lady Brougham and Vaux had a most wonderful collection, from which interesting comparisons

could be made. One pair of bed hangings, of coarse linen of the 16th century, show the trees

with a meandering growth entirely characteristic of those of heavier kind which appear in later

embroideries, these trees also are undoubtedly intended to represent the Tree of Life, for round

one is coiled a serpent, while beneath the scanty but large leaved boughs, incidents in the story

of the expulsion from Paradise are to be descried, as also the procession into the ark.

The work is without doubt early, for there is a primitive character in the arrangement of the

inconsequent groups of figures, Adam and Eve stand nude either side the tree, couples in weird

though contemporaneous costume to the work are dotted over the surface quite at haphazard.

The similarity between the tree on these curtains and on one of the 18th century once in the

same collection is very striking. Added grace of design has beautified the later work, but the

same forms can be traced and the same parrots and squirrels are introduced, the Biblical story at

the foot of the 16th century curtain has been replaced by a portion of the legend of the human

soul.

Another very interesting example I have seen, attributed to the years of James I's reign, seems to

suggest that the worker had realised the "waves" in an Eastern pattern and made growths of

coral at the base of the tree, but had then converted a line or two of waves into terra firma , for

at one end reposes a lion, towards which a stag is bounding with head turned back as if in fear of

pursuers.

The birds in this example are very tropical, a miniature peacock on the lower branches spreads

its tail stiffly, parrots like the one illustrated in our collection of details, birds of paradise, and

squirrels, are all to be noted among foliations that are the most superb, taken individually, it is

possible to imagine, most are worked fairly solid, such light fillings as there are, being small

sprays of leaves like those in our plate No. 17.

Carnations, harebells, canterbury bells, roses, marigolds, grapes, are included in the composition;

block shading, chain stitch, stem stitch are all employed in the working, and a very interesting

example of the Opus Plumarian is given in the tail feathers of the tiny peacock.

The dissection of detail in early English crewel embroidery is a very fascinating occupation and

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well repays the expenditure of time. So little has been written about this particular phase of the

embroiderer's art, that it is by old records and examples one becomes best informed and in a

great measure enabled to trace the growth of the style that culminated in the massive designs

that derived their name from the epoch in which they were in favour. Tudor crewel work, was

chiefly done in broad outline of a more or less fanciful nature as regards the stitching, witness

the sections of that Tudor piece which is shewn in our first illustration.

Forms were large but gradually became reduced as they were worked more solidly. The

beautiful foxglove pattern in "Bess of Hardwicke's" curtains at Hardwicke, shews a very slight

feeling of transition but it may safely be assumed that one of the influences bearing on the

execution of the crewel work, was the portentous character of much of the contemporary

canvas hand-worked tapestry such as the famous set of panels unearthed in Hatton Gardens.

The architectural basis is a link between the Ecclesiastical and Secular embroideries of the past

centuries, and anyone interested in the evolution of design would be struck with the similitude of

the large leaves and flowers in these panels to those of the crewel designs of the same date; it is

also noteworthy that the symbolic significance in the details of the panels is ecclesiastic,

whereas in the crewel work it is always based on the legend of the Tree of Life, or secularly

emblematic.

Colourings were often in both styles, blues, greens, bright yellows and browns predominated,

carnation reds figuring in some examples, used for the flower of that name and for the

pomegranate, which, with its seeds visible, signifies future life and immortality.

The carnation and the caterpillar were both Stuart emblems, and occur in nearly all kinds of

work executed during their reigns; the rose, of course, has its national as well as its religious

significance, likewise the oak (after the restoration).

The potato flower seen in both Jacobean and Portuguese embroideries is an example of the habit

of recording the latest novelty, the strawberry was also popular on this account, and is

frequently introduced in those hillocky foregrounds, which, to me, appear one of the most

interesting evidences of combined influences.

Once again, another Oriental idea was evidently assimilated, for in numberless Chinese patterns

one sees the main motive springing out of a base of waves formed exactly like the hillocks which

became such a distinctive feature in these large branching designs.

In the earliest examples the hillocks were much broken up, and smaller (more like the mounds in

the painted Palampores) than in the later work, from which we may presume the spread of the

Oriental influence had done its work, the "terra firma" being carried out with a similitude to the

eastern version of waves that includes the actual stitchery; grafted on to this was the legend of

the pursuit of the human soul (typified by a hart) by evil, personified by the huntsman, the

hounds and various uncanny beasts, two bearing unflattering resemblance to the heraldic lion

and leopard; while rabbits, snails, grubs of all kind hinder the hart's progress, these are relics of

the days when The Bestiarta (symbolism of beasts) was carefully studied.

The riotous re-action from the Puritan rule was reflected in the embroideries of the restoration,

as in everything else, and patterns became exuberant, colouring more brilliant, the exquisite

stitchery gradually gave place to the easier achievement of solid fillings, and the requisite relief

was secured by light sprays filling up the ground between the larger leaves, jasmine, cherries,

harebells, potato flowers, honeysuckle, shamrock or trefoil and acorns took the lead.

It is an almost impossible task to describe the large leaves, since they bear no resemblance to

anything natural, they are, however, rarely angular in outline, rejoicing rather in sweeping

curves, and drooping points, curled over to display the under side of the leaf, a device that gave

opening for much ingenuity in the arrangement of the stitches. The variety in these was so great

that on reading the enumeration made by Taylor, the Water Poet, one becomes quite breathless.

The predominating ones, however, are— Outline or Stem Stitch , used for all but the largest

stems, and veining and outlining leaves and flowers.

Shading Stitch , sometimes called long and short, used for large branches and leaves, Basket and

Double Back Stitch are also used for these stems.

Satin Stitch , for all kinds of flowers and small foliage, or for the definite flat shading, that is like

block shading without the ridge caused by the carrying back of the wool into the past row of

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