A group of embroidered floral coverlets, 17th and 18th century, for the European market

The main producers of European 18th century embroideries had varied designs specific to the country. The trading and cultural links these countries held with the wider world effected their imports and design influences. France was inspired by the Classical world, Italy predominantly by the Ottoman Empire and Central Europe, England had historic colonial influences, especially the East India Company, and Spain and Portugal also had extensive colonial links to the Far East, South America and India. 

The Catholic Church was a very powerful patron and influence and some of the best embroidery was found on ecclesiastical vestments and altar furniture. Altar panels often having a symbolic religious motif within the central roundels, such as the sacred heart or pelican or piety. Professional secular embroidery on clothing was hugely important. Domestic embroidery was widespread within urban and country environments with floral and naturalistic motifs being prolific and ubiquitous through the ages and different countries, with religious, classical, allegorical and narrative motifs being incorporated into designs, and chinoiserie motifs and Indo-Persian motifs having great influence. Coverlets were a popular accessory for displaying embroidered designs. 

The charming panels included in this group of textiles all have representations of the natural world and specifically flowers, a popular motif from ancient times, and depicted with symbolism or just for the sake of their general beauty and decorative potential. They reflect the importance of global influences on textile designs, which were such important commercial and status items. 

Castelo Branco, embroidered panel:

The town of Castelo Branco in Portugal was noted for embroidery on linen, although they did produced silk. The small factory was run by nuns and became famous for the quality and quantity of its embroideries. The practice continues to this day, inspired by the 17th century patterns, and in the 19th century the Indian motif of the tree of life was adapted into the designs of coverlets. Generally taking the format of large panels for use as bed coverlets the earlier designs usually include a central medallion, with figures, flowers or a coat of arms. They were based on Indo-Portuguese embroideries from north-west India and from Goa which were prominent trading posts. It is the use of large areas of flat, untwisted floss silks, loosely couched to the surface that distinguish the Portuguese pieces from their Indian counterparts. The long lengths of flat silk in the design motifs catch the light, and unlike the Indian panels, these panels represent more muted colours and a rose pink was characteristic. There is a stylisation to the overall designs, although the execution was always of high quality. The laid and couched techniques used in European textiles are said to have come from the Orient.

Comparables include a Castelo Branco embroidered coverlet, with coloured silks on linen, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Acc.No. 1992/2625). Comparables in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, included a small panel (Obj.No. 48.55.9), and a fragment from a cover (Obj.No. 48.55.11), both Portuguese or Spanish, 17th-18th century, silk on silk.

A floral embroidered panel, Gujarat, West India, mid 18th century:

During the 18th century the export embroideries from Gujarat were strongly influenced by European design, which in this example shows the delicate naturalistic preference of small repeat designs. Tambour, chain stitch work was produced in Britain and India, and it is not always obvious where it has originated, although being on the very light weight muslin may indicate it was produced in India for the European taste. Often designs based on chintzes would be taken to India and worked there. 

Comparables in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, include: An embroidered floral dress fragment, Gujarat, India, 18th century, silk on cotton, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Acc.No. IS.78-1955), and Curtain panel, Gujarat, India, late 17th century, silk on cotton (Acc.No. IS.79-1955), Indian floral embroidered cotton fabric imported as piece-goods (lengths of cloth) and made up into a dress in England, 18th century (Acc.No.391-1970). See also a small floral embroidered silk on cotton fragment, probably Gujarat, mid to late 18th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Obj.No.1970.185.2)

A silk and metal thread embroidered coverlet, England or India for the European market, 18th century:

The English were especially fond of flowers and their depicting being as naturalistic as possible and easily identifiable. Floral designs followed on from their popularity in Tudor England, where floral motifs such as the rose and carnation continued to appear prominently in textiles, but they are absent from this panel. The motifs found in prints and pattern books, such as those of Richard Shorleyker (1655), were elaborated upon. With the fashion for the exotic luxury goods from India and China, the influences extended the repertoire. The 17th century English embroideries did incorporate animals associated with either Medieval mythology, such as the unicorn, or the camel and lion associated with Bible stories or the classical world. The design of this panel shows strong influences of Indian imagery, in the delicate foliate trails, and the inclusion of animals which would certainly be exotic in the European landscape, including unusual wild cats, deer peacocks, parrots and other unusual birds, and more familiar butterflies. The format of the panel shows a strong design of a central medallion and a wide border, and corner floral motifs, not unlike Indian summer floor covers. The false quilting was a popular British technique. The panel is a combination of influences. 

See a comparable coverlet, English, circa 1725-1750, with various flowers and bouquets in each corner, and a spray in the centre, against a ground of false quilting, (150cm by 155cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Obj.No.2022.147.14). For a bedcover, Indian, late 17th century, with earlier Chinese and English motifs, including people and animals, in a similarly unusual combination see Lanto Synge, Art of Embroidery, History of Style and Technique, Antique Collectors Club, 2001, Chp. 11, Indian Export Needlework, pp.310-323, p.312, fig. 300. 

A silk embroidered panel, China, 18th century, for the European market: 

In the 18th century the lure of silk still resulted in a lucrative commercial avenue for embroideries from China. The Portuguese colony in Macao had Cantonese workers producing decorative embroidered panels often used as coverlets in the West. They followed the format of a central medallion, spandrels or corner motifs, and a wide border. They were usually foliate and floral and often included exotic birds. The present example has delicate trails in the corners which allude to an unusual bird, as there is a stylised bird head on delicate trails. 

Comparables include a Silk bedcover, China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), late 18th - early 19th century, (254cm by 224cm), (Obj.No. 44.34.12) and a Chinese Palampore (treee of life hanging), Guangzhou, China, for the European market, circa 1750-1800 (Obj.No. 47.63), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York