Anglo-Saxon Horse

I thought it worth writing in detail about the Anglo-Saxon Horse kit I bought from Kerry's Medieval Embroideries Etsy Shop,  Medieval by Kerry .  Kerry is a medieval enthusiast in Toowoomba, Queensland, and has a range of interesting kits based on medieval manuscripts, artefacts and treasures.  Her website is well worth a visit. She has tutorials there as well as a blog. It's well worth a visit.

I ordered her Anglo-Saxon Horse kit as part of my follow-up research from the presentation I am giving next month to the World Embroidery Study Group on Viking Embroidery. I have started reading in detail about Anglo-Saxon and Celtic embroidery - in the historical context. Margarethe Hald's foundational book Ancient Danish Textiles in Bogs and Burials is my basic guide.

Kerry's design is really lovely. It comes on black linen with two shades of gold perle 5 thread and a hank of DMC metallic gold.

I backed it with black cotton before beginning.

The design is from a gold filigree fragment in the Staffordshire Hoard,  dated  AD 570-60.  There is a possibility it is a water horse with fins, but thought more likely to be a horse with stylised hoofs.

The stitches used are from the later Anglo- Saxon period, around 11th century and relate to the Bayeux Tapestry, stem stitch and couching. Most of the work is in the perl thread, with touches around the eyes in metallic. 

The swirls require care, but are not onerous - in fact quite fun to work.

I used magnification for some of it, but the threads are easy to work with.

Once I got into the swing of it, it moved along quickly.

I like the result a lot. Most of my presentation (when it eventuates, next year!) will be on embroidery of the early Anglo-Saxon period. While this is not embroidery from that period, it is a design from that period embroidered in a very clever and effective way.

I folded the fabric to form a pouch and found some gold dupion silk to line it.

It shows up rather nicely when the zip is opened.

And the front looks fabulous.