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ISSN: 1526-9094
Issue 4
COSTUME EMBROIDERY - FIRST
ART?
BY LINN SKINNER
It would seem
to me that costume embroidery was undoubtedly the first sort of embroidery.
It would have developed after the skills of garment construction.
In some societies I would think embellishment of garments with embroidery occurred
prior to spinning and weaving as animal hide garments were decorated to denote
status and societal affiliations.
Human society is one of constant striving for power and lust for personal adornment.
I believe this led to costume embroidery at a very early date. Early archeological
finds demonstrate embellishment of garments with woven and
embroidered design and early written accounts speak of embroidery.
The bible (at Exodus) offers our earliest embroidery instructions. It tells
of the requirements for embroidering the priestly garments. We have continued
to embroider garments for use in religious ceremony
throughout mankind's history.
At first embroidery on wearing apparel and accessories was undoubtedly a luxury
enjoyed only by those at the upper levels of the social, economic, political and
religious segments of societies. As economies and trade opportunities expanded,
embroidery became available to an ever-increasing number of members of any world
culture.
European crusades to the east exposed Christians and other adventurers to luxury
goods not previously known to (or at least not widely known) to the ordinary citizen
of Western Europe.
Further expansion of the 16th and 17th centuries as well as colonization brought
increasing trade. More people joined the middle class and could afford imported
textiles and fibers. Their buying habits increased investment and trade
in these goods and a golden age of embroidery was launched. As well as decorating
their homes with these new riches, the royal and the just plain rich, adorned
themselves. Embroidery to reflect rank or
affiliation was used as badges attached to costume or made an integral part
of wearing apparel.
As time went on, the rich bought their costume ready decorated with embroidery,
or commissioned the work to be done by others. Those of modest means embroidered
their own dresses, monogrammed shirts for their male friends and stitched many
a wisp of fine lawn for wear by the babies and children of their families.
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