Goldwork

From the earliest times, gold thread has been a popular form of decorating items with embroidery.

Background

It is an obvious way to display wealth and to garner prestige in the community. As such, many great examples of GoldWork were given to the Church in the form of various types of vestments. Many of the surving examples of GoldWork are various forms of Ecclesiastical Embroidery.

Stitches and Techniques

Because of the way in which gold thread is produced (flattened strips of gold wrapped around a fibre core - usually silk), the most common stitches used when working with this type of thread at various forms of Couching Work.

This type of application falls into two main categories:

• Surface Couching
• Underside Couching

Extant Pieces

• St Cuthbert Maniple and Stole, around AD 915, Durham Cathedral Library, England, Neg. Nos. 74500 and 74501
• Maaseik Embroidery - Vestments of Sts. Harlindis and Relindis, now in Maaseik, Belgium
• Funeral Pall, 16th C English - http://rubens.anu.edu.au/new/england/london/museums/victoria_and_albert/textiles/funeral_pall_england/
• Vestments, French 14th - 16th C - http://rubens.anu.edu.au/raid1cdroms/france/tonnerre/hospital/museum/textiles/