Viking embroidery
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The Vikings did not take up embroidery until late in their cultural development, prefering other methods of decorating clothing.
Materials Used
Stitches and Techniques
- stem stitch
- Surface Couching
- chain stitch
- vandyke stitch
- herringbone
Design
During various periods, Viking work was influenced by Byzantine design. There are also examples of floral and figurative work.
Extant Pieces
- Mammen Cloak
- Oseberg hangings and garments
- Mid-ninth century Viking: Embroidery on the tunics of the queen and servant buried in the Oseberg ship: partly applique work. Details still unpublished.
- Mid-tenth century Viking: gold embroidery thread found with the garment materials of the man buried in the Gokstad ship.
- Late tenth century (?) Viking: Valsgarde Grave 15, Sweden, embroidered edging for cloak in spun silver thread.
- Early eleventh century Jorvik (York): clumsy chain stitch on small samite "relic bag."
