Early 18th Century Pincushion Silk Embroidered Needlework Flowers English Circa 1700 AF

We are very, very excited to offer our early sewing and textile collectors this RARE survivor. Dating from the late 1600s period this is an English silk pincushion. Before the industrial revolution, pins were expensive and hard to come by, used not only for sewing but also for fastening Elizabethan and Georgian era clothing. Therefore pincushions were not only important household items but they often displayed wealth or status.

Our example of large scale has one side of woven silk wrought in a type of cross stitch with meandering, coiling stem flowers. We see trailing Gilliflowers (Carnations) and Roses. Both very popular flowers used in the 1600 to 1700s when floral designs were of particular appeal due to a growing interest in botany. This type of coiling stem, floral design is called 'Rinceaux'. A popular naturalistic pattern used in the 1500s and 1600s embroidered on coifs, pillows, and sweet bags. The most famous example of a Rinceaux design being the Margaret Layton jacket - see Portrait of Margaret Layton (V and A museum no. E.214-1994), attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1561-1636). For a similar sized pincushion example please see the V & A Museum Accession number T.405-1970.

Our pincushion has retained its four corner silk twist tassels, also its original once gold wrapped metal bobbin lace. The reverse is of plain woven silk. The pin holes to the reverse, where pins once sat seemed to be arranged in a formal pattern, rather than random. This would suggest to us that there was once a pin stuck design to the reverse., perhaps a floral design, or name, date??? The pincushion is firmly padded with wool.

Size: 2 3/4 inch ( 7 cm ) tall, by 7 inch long (18cm) by 4 3/4 inch (12 cm) deep

Condition: If condition is paramount, may we respectfully suggest that this is not the item for you. This original 300 years old pincushion is sound but the silk is showing its age. The silk base ground has melted in places to both top and reverse. The stitching is all very sound and fairly bright still in places. The gold bobbin lace has dulled to pewter with age. Old collectors label to the silk base which we have not removed due to fragility of the silk.

This is a rare opportunity outside of a museum to own such a survivor. You can easily imagine how it once shone and enraptured its original owner.

Item id:16242