Embroidered Chalice Veil

In the SCA, I have seen people use fabric with embroidery and beading to cover their cups. This is practical, especially when outside at events, to help keep insects from flying in or around their drink. An example of a cover can be found here.

I decided that I wanted to try to make a cup cover. I also recently learned how to use my embroidery machine. So, I decided that I wanted to test out my embroidery machine to make a blackwork-inspired cup cover. The hem is hand-stitched. The beading is made up of glass beads and pearls. Please see below:

Although I have seen cup covers in the SCA, I also wanted to see how historically accurate these covers are. What I have found so far is that beeswax covered linen was used to create a medieval version of Tupperware. Check this out. Waxed linen covers have been seen in artwork since the 14th century.

But waxed linen covers are fairly stiff and (obviously) have beeswax on them. The covers that I have seen in the SCA are decorated with embroidery and/or beads, but do not have any beeswax on them. So, I tried to do an internet search to find out the history (if any) on these particular types of covers. Note: if you put in "cup cover" into a search engine, you will not find many websites related to this specific type of cover.

This cup cover is actually known as a chalice veil. If you go here, you can find some museum examples from the late 16th century.