basket

As England moved from the medieval period into the Renaissance, needlework grew in popularity and began to move away from purely ecclesiastical decoration. The Protestant Reformation helped to usher in new forms of embroidery and embroiderers. Professional male embroiderers continued to work for the court and the nobility, but a growing amateur group of upper- and upper- middle-class women used embroidery as an appropriate form of leisure and ladylike behavior. Glass beads began to be incorporated into English embroidery in the 17th century. Elaborate beadwork baskets are thought to have been created as gifts in celebration of a child’s christening or a wedding, with their form based on types of silver baskets that are known to have been used in christening ceremonies. Whether these baskets were made by amateur women, crafted by the professional class of male embroiderers, or even made into kits is a matter of speculation. The baskets often show a couple (sometimes King Charles II and Catherine of Braganza) surrounded by fruit, flowers, foliage, castles, or allegorical figures, and this couple refers to the celebratory nature of the object for weddings or christenings. This basket depicts a lady and a gentleman, perhaps a cavalier, facing each other, with the man holding his hat in his hands. They are surrounded by an array of realistic fruits and flowers, which are associated with fertility. Unfortunately, both the man and the woman have lost their hair, because this object was damaged by the Corning flood of 1972. However, the object was saved and restored, with minimal losses.