NEEDLEWORK AS A DECORATIVE ART.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19903, 24 September 1926, Page 14

NEEDLEWORK AS A DECORATIVE ART.

On Wednesday evening last To Kianga branch of the Home Economic Association met at the residence of the president (Mrs Lightfoot). _ This being the last meeting of the session, the secretary read the balance sheet, after which a most interesting paper was read by Miss luck upon the art of stitchery, with many interesting details of its history. Whether needlecraft will ever again roach the perfection of earlier times is still in doubt, the art of mibroidery in the early part of last century being less alive than at any other period of history, but since then there has been an evident revival. A great artist, Walter Crane, describes embroidery as ‘‘the most delicate, domestic, and charming of all handicraft, and those present readily agreed when examining the very beautiful embroideries exhibited by Miss Tuck. These included specimens of petit-point, Richelieu, cross stitch, Bulgarian, Roman, Turkish, and others of great beauty. Of great interest was one piece worked by a man —indeed, many men appreciate needlework, even though they may not practise it. So little is left to us of the embroidery of antiquity that doubts may be expressed as to whether it is really as old and indispensable as it is c aimed to be, and it is interesting to learn that during the excavations curried out near Kertch in the Crimea, from U to 50 years ago, fragments of garments were found which could be approximately dated as belonging to the fourth century B.c. One fragment of purple woollen material was embroidered in wool of several colours, showing an Amazon on horseback, and another a spray of honeysuckle. These, with other specimens belonging to the third century n.c., can be seen at the Hermitage Museum at Petrograd. In the sixth century silk replaced wool for those who could afford the luxury, but there can be no doubt that silk embroidery originated in far Eastern Asia at a period much more remote. In the western world we have no silk embroidery older than the sixth century examples of that period belonging to early Christian art. i'earls and enamels enriched such silk embroidery, and which were used to adorn the coronation robts of successive emperors. The sixteenth century brought with it a love of rich _ and costly apparel favoured by Henry VTII, whose gloves and handkerchiefs even were adorned with gold, silver, and line needlework. Henry made a law to regulate lichness of costume by the rank of the wearer. Following some interesting discussion of Tudor embroidery and Jacobean tapestry, Miss 'luck described national embroideries. Italy, the home of Applique embroidery, als> excelled in inlaid patterns of gold tissue. France, in the thirteenth ’ and fourteenth centuries, was making a name in ecclesiastical embroidery. 'Tins work, which requires tremendous patience and skill, is now mostly done in convents. In Spain, Applique work was favoured during the sixteenth century, hut colouring with a brush was frequently added to make the work less tedious. The Spaniards also borrowed Oriental forms of colouring from the Chinese, and some of their work is now very like Rumanian, with its bright effective colourings ami easy stitching. During the thirteenth century German embroidery was done on parchment, with coral, glass beads, hammered silver, and seed pearls. Swiss embroidery is mostly write, (and is worked witli the finest of threads upon the finest of fabrics, most intricate and famous for its beauty. In Turkey very line work is done on white fabrics with coloured threads. A peculiarity of the Turks is their endeavour to omit human and animal figures from their work. They are noted for their prayer rugs. In Persia the rugs show finer interpretation than in Turkey inasmuch as the whole bnckgn nd is embroidered in fine silks. From Persia cas emanated the' most gorgeous .specimens of je died embroidery, a noteworthy example of which was a jewelled carpet taken by the Arabs in the pillage of the White Palate of Khosevers after the defeat of the Persians at Cudesia. The car pet was comxiosed of silk and gold cloth, was 00ft square, and had decorated one of the apartments in the palace, and was wrought with jewels of the most costly species such as the ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, and pearl. These jewels were arranged with such skill as to represent in beautiful mosaic trees, fruits, and flowers, rivulets and fountains, roses and shrubs of every description with wonderful foliage. The ultimate fate of this work of art was to be cut up and shared by the ors. Chine - embroidery is principally of a bright nature, glittering with tinsel threads, typically Oriental, with designs to bring out their national emblem. A study of the embroidery of many countries shows that groups of stitches are common to certain localities and periods. At the present time, although we know our ideas from curlier times wc lend to c-hooso tho simplest and quickest generally, although there is a revival in Jacobean and Tudor embroideries for furniture and draperies. Cross stitch and petit point are also being revived.

Some very useful advice about designs and colour schemes was given by Miss Tuck, who urged her listeners not to attempt any embroidery beyond their own imagination, saying that often tho most simple design is the most effective. The more simple stitches such as satin stitch, button-hole, chain stitch, outline, and snail trail were recommended.

Much instruction of a most fascinating nature was given, and many thanks were tendered to Miss Tuck for her most interesting address. Thanks to tho hostess for the use of her home brought a most enjoyable evening to a close.