Stuart Motifs or Slips
Early 17th century

A slip is an embroidered motif, often a flower with foliage or a fruit.  They acquired their name from gardeners' slips or cuttings. To propagate a plant the gardener takes a stem cutting of the base with a diagonal heel, then pots up the cutting to form a new plant. These embroidered motifs were popular on bedhangings from the mid sixteenth to the mid seventeenth centuries. Ours date from when Charles II was king.  Smaller motifs were used on boxes and mirror frames.

Description

A group of twelve embroidered motifs including pears, apples and quince, flowers including ranuculous and iris,  each on a short stem with leaves, embroidered in tent stitch using twisted silks in a variety of shades of yellow, apricot, ivory, green, brown, pink, blue.

Slips 9 - 12 cm.

The linen 50 x 45 cm wide

Condition

Very good condition. No fading. They have of course been re-applied to the natural linen ground with dark green silk.  They could be removed and framed individually or framed as a whole. The top right hand side motif had come undone so we have put a few stitches to secure it.

Comments

Catalogue of English Domestic Embroidery John L Nevinson plate XXII and  p 29.