Decorative Book Embroidery from A Devotional Miscellany
Today we present A Devotional Miscellany, a printed facsimile of an embroidered book in the Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston with an accompanying text by the textile historian Margaret H. Swain and printed in Germany by Brüder Hartmann in 1966. The original book measures 5 ½ x 4 ½ inches and was made by nuns in convents, probably in Spain or made by Spanish-speaking people based on an inscription within the text. It resembles a book of hours in that it would be used for mediation and private devotion, and was most likely created as a gift for a benefactor of the convent.
Margaret H. Swain describes the process of making such a book:
“Each pictorial page is embroidered on parchment in brilliant silks, occasionally embellished with metal threads. The embroidery is completely reversible, alike on both sides. The very exacting technique, of which this is a superb example, was practiced by nuns in convents during the 17th and 18th centuries, sometimes on parchment, often on paper. The designs were drawn complete with inscriptions, and the outlines were then pricked so that a fine needle filled with silk could pass through the holes without tearing the parchment. The parchment was then placed between two stiff cards with a ‘window’ cut in each, exposing a small part of the design, and protecting the rest. The needle filled with silk was then passed carefully through the exposed holes to make a smooth satin stitch on either side. It was typical convent work, combining great skill with very little outlay on materials. Small pieces of paper were often used, even the backs of old letters, and the silk and metal thread might be oddments left over from large church embroideries, altarpieces and vestments.”
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–Sarah, Special Collections Graduate Intern
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