Thu Jul 28, 2022 09:22 AM

We talk a lot about how modelbucher were disposable and consumable books intended for use. That fact plays in to how many survived. Many of the surviving books have holes where they were pricked for pattern transfer.

The Met’s textile conservation department has a Pinterest account where they’ve posted detail pictures of some of the items in the collection. I found this image from a pair of 17th century embroidered gloves fascinating. You can see the swan pattern from Siebmacher on a page being used as a support for the embroidery.

Gloves at the Met, Accession Number: 28.220.7, .8 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/222229 Pinterest board https://pin.it/4JhZ9jU Siebmacher https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de//~db/0002/bsb00026001/images/