Broderie

Embroidered bookbinding.

1650 · 778EHB223STD — England London 1650. Size when opened: 17 x 25 cm. Ivory silk satin richly decorated in a colourful floral design with goldwork metal sequins and clusters of seed pearls the text "voir nostre domine" embroidered on the front and back. Exquisitely embroidered 17th-century English binding with a colourful floral design comparable to the very few silk bindings decorated in London during the years ca. 1625-1650 that have survived. The design which is identical on both sides showcases a crowned Tudor rose with its stem in a vase surrounded by flowers foliage and ornamented leaves with the text "voir nostre domine" at the top. It has been embroidered onto a base of ivory silk satin lined with white linen and decorated with four blue painted ornaments on the interior. The work has been executed with an exquisite pallet of green blue pink red orange white brown and gold threads brilliantly contrasting the ivory white of the base fabric.All sections and shapes have been beautifully outlined with gold thread fastened with red silk. The hearts of the roses the crowns the vases and the initials V and D of the text have been decorated with small pearls. Little round sequins are scattered in the foliage filling the negative space. At the interior two pockets have been sewn intended for the insertion of a book probably a Psalter of ca. 16.5 x 10 cm or 12mo format.Some sections are a little bit faded the embroidery on the spine and around the edges is partly detached missing a few pearls and sequins and likely some goldwork the silk is slightly water stained on the interior. Otherwise an extremely rare specimen of a very richly decorated silk bookbinding in very good condition.l Cf. Barber Textile and embroidered bindings plate 21; Davenport English embroidered bookbindings 43; Tregaskis Catalogue 878 1923 no. 4. unknown