Embroidery is a beautiful and ancient art form that dates back to 30,000 BC. Archeologists have found embroidered garments and fabrics that are thousands of years old. Hand-stitched motifs and designs have a long and colorful past, and in this post, we'll explore four fascinating facts to unravel some of the illustrious history of embroidery.
Fact 1: Embroidery Was a Status Symbol in Ancient Cultures
For hundreds upon hundreds of years, high-quality fabrics and embroidered materials were only worn by the wealthiest and most elite members of society. In ancient Israel, China, and even Egypt, embroidery was a status symbol.
Wealthy people and members of royal families would wear elaborately embroidered garments featuring many types of nature motifs and floral designs. Embroidery was also used to embellish uniforms of decorated military leaders, flags, hats, and shoes.
Fact 2: The Victorians Loved Embroidery
During the Victorian Era (1837-1901), embroidery was not only at its height of fashion but also a beloved pastime. Many women took up hand-stitching as a hobby, and they would often spend hours customizing garments, handkerchiefs, and linens.
The Victorians had a peculiar hobby of beetle wing embroidery, which uses the wings of a jewel beetle as the base. This likely stemmed from the rising interest in entomology, as butterfly and insect collecting was an extremely popular hobby at the time.
Of course, it wasn't solely strange bug designs that abounded during this famous fashion and historical period. Art needlework was also extremely popular, and many garments were accented with medieval-age-inspired designs.
Fact 3: Embroidery Helped the Fight for Women's Rights
Embroidery has a long history in the threads of women's rights. For example, British suffragette Janie Terrero used to embroider handkerchiefs while she was imprisoned, and many women carried their own with political symbols and messages on them.
The Artists' Suffrage League in England displayed 150 embroidered protest banners from 1908 to 1913 in support of women's rights.
Embroidery was also a sought-after skill that helped women become more financially independent and earn their own incomes. In a time when women could not vote or even own their own bank accounts, embroidery was not only a creative outlet but a feminist act that defied the traditional patriarchy.
Fact 4: No One Knows for Certain Who Invented Embroidery
Though embroidery has an ancient history, there is no definitive time for its creation. Therefore, no one is 100% sure who created it or what the first embroidered work really was. Some of the oldest samples come from the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-246 BC) in ancient China and the Greek Byzantium Empire, founded in 667 BC.
Embroidery may be an ancient art, but it is still alive and thriving today. Thanks in large part to social media, the art of needlework is seeing a resurgence among younger generations who are enamored by the timeless appeal, endless possibility, and relaxing yet challenging work of the craft. What will you create?
