Later 16th and Early 17th Century Curvilinear Swirly Floral English Blackwork Embroidery

Just putting some of these links here to check out various examples of the swirly, floral blackwork embroidery found in England from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

1. Sleeve Panel (1610-1620)
2. Waistcoat (1610-1615)
3. Panel (1615-1625)
4. Panel (1590-1610) 
5. Waistcoat (1610-1620)
6. Nightcap (1600-1624)
7. Waistcoat (1620-1625)
8. Coif (1575-1625)
9. Pillow Cover (1600)
10. Pillow Bier (1600)
11. Coif (1600-1625)
12. Coif (1575-1600)
13. Waistcoat (1615-1620)
14. Cap (1600-1629)
15. Coif (early 17th century)
16. Blackwork Embroidery (1590)
17. Night Cap (1600-1620)
18. Forehead Cloth (last quarter 16th century)
19. Coif (last quarter 16th century)
20. Coif (1570-1599)
21. Coif and Forehead Cloth (1600-1650)
22. Coif (1600-1610)
23. Hood (1600-1630)
24. Panel (1600-1630) - looks like a coif
    

 

The panel (coif) listed on #24 is at the V&A Museum and is missing embroidery (according to the museum: only stitch holes and the tiniest fragments of thread remain). "This coif was once worked in blackwork, a style of needlework popular in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was worked with a single colour of silk, usually black, but also blue, green or red, on linen. Now only a few tiny shreds of the black silk embroidery thread remain. The use of iron in the dyeing process (to fix and enhance the black) and exposure to light have caused the threads to disintegrate.

The loss of thread has exposed the original embroidery design, hand-drawn in blue ink. The pattern consists of a variety of single motifs of flowers, birds and insects, very similar to those reproduced in embroidery pattern books of the early 17th century. These motifs were transferred to the linen by pricking the outline of the design on paper, pouncing (dusting with fine dark powder), then joining the dots left on the linen with a fine brush and ink." (V&A Museum)

 

 

 Front and back of #3 from above: