K A T H E R I N E    F E L L*

This Elizabethan or Early Stuart casket, meticulously stitched by Katherine Fell, was designed using techniques imparted by Maree Talbot, an Australian embroidery instructor specialising in Elizabethan embroidery. Talbot’s design presents a contemporary interpretation of Elizabethan and Stuart caskets from the late 16th and 17th centuries.

Elizabethan caskets, known as diminutive cabinets, were equipped with drawers and lids. They were characterised by goldwork scrolling that enclosed three-dimensional flowers, known as stump work. A distinctive feature of these caskets was the raised embroidery, crafted from detached buttonhole stitches and items that were filled with horsehair or wool.

The embroidered panels of these caskets were frequently adorned with animals, birds, insects or biblical illustrations. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the development of steel needles facilitated the incorporation of beads and seed pearls into embroidery pieces. The advancement of fine, flexible metal, passing thread enabled the utilisation of intricate plaited braid stitches in the scroll work. Metal thread was also combined with coloured silk thread to create intricate designs.

Child embroiderers, working with a cabinet maker, collaborated to craft these unique boxes from the embroidered components. The caskets served as containers for personal hygiene items, needlework tools, or writing materials.

The casket on display has an estimated value of over $25,000 (Private Collection, N.F.S)

 *Katherine Fell is a member of the Waikato Embroiderers Guild and a volunteer with the Achieving Change for Children Charitable Trust.