Costume and Textiles at Warwickshire Museum |
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Man's Shirt, c1600 - 1620
H6300 |
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Man's shirt of cream linen, embroidered with plant motifs in red silk.
Cuffs, collar and front opening are edged with bobbin lace made from cream linen and red silk threads.
The shirt could have been worn either as a night shirt, or for day wear.
The embroidery was meant to be seen - either through slashes in a doublet (jacket) for day wear, or when the wearer was sitting up in bed if worn at night.
The shirt belonged to a family from Hartshill, Warwickshire. |
The shirt is long and loose, with the back and front made from one piece of fabric.
The sleeves, collar, cuffs and gussets have been attached with red silk thread, using insertion stitch.
This detail on the right shows the neck and front opening of the shirt, with its narrow edging of bobbin lace. | |
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The shirt is embroidered with a number of stylised flower and plant motifs in red silk thread.
Seven embroidery stitches are used to work the motifs - stem, buttonhole, double buttonhole, feather, fishbone, satin, and speckiling stitch. |
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