Mary Lady Scoudamore Black Embroidery

A major element of both the female and male high society garments illustrated in the portraits of Mary Lady Scudamore and Dudley North is the meticulous embroidery. The black embroidery of Mary Lady Scudamore’s skirt is accentuated against the bright red cloth, while the silver accents glisten against the deep black foundation of Dudley’s jacket. The skill and time needed to stitch such detailed designs meant that these garments were most likely made in professional workshops where it took several months and many different people to make the piece. The Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, is home to a jacket, similar to the one worn by Mary Lady Scudamore, known as ‘The Layton Jacket’ (Figure Five). The jacket is believed to be made in the early seventeenth century, so is
It is made of linen, with the embroidery done in silk and gilt thread. Based on the materiality of the Layton jacket, it can be inferred that the embroidery of the garments depicted in the portraits were also stitched with silk. Silk was a material that needed to be imported to London making it a more expensive input good for the clothing. The detailing of the material in both Figure 2 and Figure 3 add dimension and grandeur to the costume, further conveying the opulence and worth the subjects of the paintings maintained in English society. One article of clothing that materialized the notion of wealth and class in the early 1600s was the glove. In the portrait of Mary Lady Scudamore, she is painted holding a tan colored pair of gloves, signifying her power. Gloves embodied the aristocracy lifestyle, as the functionality of the clothing separated one from the concept of labor. Ones hands are used for work, and by covering them up it depicts the absence of strain and drudgery in ones life. Aside from symbolizing the persons standing in society, gloves were also representative of power and loyalty. They were thought of like external organs of the body,