flounce, 4 yards 11 inches
long x 18 inches deep, and a pair of
sleeves en suite 650 0 0

A Rose Point flounce, 4 yards 3 inches
long x 11-1/2 inches deep 510 0 0

A raised Point de Venise square, 1 yard
24 inches long x 1 yard 6 inches wide 450 0 0

An Old Brussels apron, 41 inches wide,
37 inches deep 145 0 0

A specimen piece of early Valenciennes,
2 yards long x 7 inches deep 42 0 0

The following prices have been given by the South Kensington authorities
for specimens shown:--

L s. d.

A Venetian Point altar-frontal, 8 x 3 feet 350 0 0

A Venetian chasuble, stole, maniple,
and chalice veil 200 0 0

A 2 yards x 5/8 yard Venetian flounce 125 0 0

A Gros Point collar 21 0 0

A Brussels lappet 23 0 0

A drawn-thread jacket 10 10 0

Linen cutwork tunic 20 0 0

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN EMBROIDERY.

Found in a tomb at Thebes.]

CHATS ON NEEDLEWORK

I

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY

Needlework pioneer art--Neolithic remains--Earliest known
English specimens--Bayeux tapestry.

While the subject of lace-making has been treated as almost
cosmopolitan, that of embroidery, in this volume, must be regarded as
purely national! I purposely refrain from introducing the embroideries
of other countries, other than mentioning the ancient civilisations
which shared the initial attempts to decorate garments, hangings, &c.
(of which we really know very little), and shall confine myself to the
needlework of this country, more especially as it is the one art and
craft of which England may be unfeignedly proud. It is assumed that
needlecraft was the pioneer art of the whole world, that the early
attempts to decorate textiles by embroideries of coloured silks, and the
elaborate use of gold and silver threadwork, first suggested painting,
sculpture, and goldsmith's work. Certainly early Egyptian paintings
imitated embroideries, and we have good ground for supposing that
stained glass was a direct copy of the old ecclesiastical figures or
ancient church vestments. The Neolithic remains found in Britain show
that at