Value My Stuff Blog

Mary Linwood, "Partridges"

In many of the world’s greatest cathedrals and museums visitors can see precious pieces of usually Middle Age embroidery carefully taken care of and very delicately preserved. But in the day-to-day workings of the antique world are works of embroidery collected and sought after? The most collected pieces are usually from the seventeenth century called stumpwork. A canvasback covering usually characterizes these pieces, and the use of wool, silk, gold and silver thread.

When pieces like this are found they are treasured and highly adored. Other pieces that are collected are those that had been made usually in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. Embroidery became very fashionable with the rise of the Romantic era and the rediscovery of mythology and folklore. There was even a famous seamstress by the name of Mary Linwood of Leicester who created elaborate embroidery pictures usually imitating known paintings. Pieces from this period usually were created as works of art including other mediums such as watercolor and gilded, crafted frames.

Victorian Eighteenth century chair

Although the start of embroidery work deal with creating specific scenes on cloth, the practice grew to include furniture. Pieces of furniture with the original embroidery still in good condition will greatly increase the value of the specific piece.

This area of the art world also consists of many Asian pieces created from the stitching of silk to create silkscreen dividers, fans made from cloth, and even sometimes parts of robes and kimonos. Would you collect pieces of art for the embroidery? If so do you think they would be difficult to preserve?

Chinese Silkscreen