Stoke Edith Wall Hanging

The hanging shows couples strolling, the long shadows suggesting a late afternoon in summer.

A gentleman doffs his hat while his lady holds out her closed fan, the lappets of her headdress rippling in the breeze.

A spaniel chases a squirrel up a tree, peacocks strut around and swans glide on the lake.

Embroidered hangings such as this were used like woven tapestries, lining the walls of a room with decorative, narrative scenes, and bringing the country or garden inside the house.

Despite their large scale they manage to convey a sense of intimacy in their celebration of private family pleasures.