DISPLAY IN SCOTLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 3

DISPLAY IN SCOTLAND

TREASURES OF NEEDLEWORK

A National Exhibition of Needlework was held in the galleries of the .Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh recently. Many of the exhibits were from England. The exhibition was organised by the Scottish Women's ltural Institute, which has a membership of 50,000, with the object of giving a fresh impulse to the revival of an ancient and beautiful art The institute was fortunate in enlisting the support of experts and owners of rare specimens. The Queen showed a very practical interest in the exhibition, and lent a stool worked by Her Majesty herself, while the King sent a Chippendale settee in a petit point, a "turkey" work chair, and a set of Jacobean hangings from the Palace of Holvrood House.

Among rare Scottish needlework treasures on view was a piece of work sewn by Mary Queen of Scots while she was in the custody of the Earl of Shrewsbury at Hardwick, lent by the Duchess of Devonshire. The Marquess of Bute lent a valance and a curtain of thick cherry-coloured cloth, said to have been brought by Mary Queen of Scots from France and partially made by herself. Beautiful dresses, worn at Bonnie Prince Charlie's ball in Edinburgh in 1745, were lent bv Lieut.-Colonel Carnegv of Lowe, and by Mrs. Greenhill Gardyne; and a Bible and bag embroidered with stump work, together with a pair of leather gloves embroidered in silk, gold thread and sequins, given by King Charles I. to Sir Henry Wardlaw, were lent by the latter's descendant, Major Wardlaw Ramsey.

Lord Forbes lent a set of valances worked in petit point on linen which were given to his ancestor by Mary Queen of Scots at the time of the Huntly Rebellion; and another set of valances mentioned in the inventories of Mary of Guise and Mary Queen of Scots were lent by Mrs. King of Arntomy. From Glamis Castle the Countess of Strathmore sent embroidery, a quilt, bed hangings and curtains which have been in the Stratmore family for 200 years; and other valuable exhibits were sent by the Duchess of Roxburghe, the Duchess of Sutherland, Lady Lovat, and many other members of Scottish society. Among other* 1 exhibits, there were many lovely pieces sent by Mr. James Ivory, including a superb set of chairs worked by the family of the great Duke of Wellington's mother.