Burse
Object name
Date made
1846-1866
Place made
Description
A rectangular mid-19th-century burse made for Lord Maziere Brady, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and patron of the arts.
Content description
A rectangular mid-19th century burse (also referred to as a purse) made for Lord Maziere Brady (1796-1871), Lord Chancellor of Ireland and patron of the arts. It involves silk and metal thread worked on red velvet in bricking, couching, couching in a circle (goldwork), basketweave (goldwork), basketweave (goldwork), cutwork purls over soft string, flat cutwork (goldwork), pearl purl application, spangles held on with purls, plunging, felt padding, soft string padding, plate application, trellis stitch, gold twist application, straight stitch, stem stitch, and satin stitch. Metal threads used are passing, plate, bright check, pearl purl, smooth purl, bullion, and twist. Spangles and beads are also used.
The burse, which is framed, features the heavily padded coat of arms of the United Kingdom surrounded by six winged seraphim or cherubim, four thistles, two Irish harps, and four cornucopias worked with heavy metal thread embroidery on red velvet. The Latin inscription which borders the arms reads, 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE', translating to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it', the motto of the Order of the Garter.
The entire piece is framed by a woven metal ribbon. The inner border has a background scattered with cutwork stars. There is a cherub in each corner, one top centre, and one bottom centre. The central cherubs are flanked by two cornucopias. Techniques include a looped twist worked in straight rows on the cherubs' hair, with high relief padding on their faces covered in silver bricking. The couching becomes untidy over the cherub's cheeks, likely because the padding became difficult to work through at that thickness. Facial features are added with black and cream silk. Their wings are worked in flat cutwork with pearl purl outlines, the corner cherubs have their wings furled, and the central cherubs have their wings outstretched to reflect the design of the cornucopias.
The cornucopia's horns are worked in silver bricking over padding and decorated with flat cutwork and pearl purl outlines. They contain daisies worked with purl loops around convex spangles. The leaves are worked in cutwork with bright check and smooth purl and the foliage beneath the daisies is worked in basketweave.
The harp medallions are worked in silver bricking with sprays of cutwork leaves around the oval frame. A pearl purl border frames the harp in the centre which is worked in cutwork with pearl purl for the strings. The harps are not a mirror image of each other.
The thistle motifs above and bellow the harp medallions are heavily padded. The body of the flower is picked out in cutwork over silver bricking with pearl purl highlights. Three large leaves are worked in basketweave and the finer pointed leaves are worked in bright check and smooth purl.
The coat of arms is in a central panel decorated with a lattice worked in foil-wrapped cord, couched down with silver thread. A small circle of spangles is at the centre of each lattice square. The initials 'V' and 'R', the monarch's initials, are picked out in cutwork at the top of the section.
The crest consists of a central medallion divided into four sections: two have three cutwork rampaging lions on a cream silk ground. Also included are a cutwork harp with pearl purl strings on a blue silk ground and a red silk rampaging lion worked on a ground of gold bricking. Around the medallion is a blue velvet banner with lettering in gold cutwork reading 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE', translating to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it'. Above the medallion is the royal crown worked in silver and gold bricking with two gold cutwork fleur de lis and gems picked out with green and red silk. The top of the crown is finished with large spangles edged with gold twist and the body of the crown is padded with red velvet.
On the right of the medallion is a rearing unicorn worked in silver bricking with a gold bricked mane and tail and cutwork hooves. His horn is gold plate couched with passing and a pearl purl border. His harness and chain are bullion links and fine details (tongue, inner ears, collar details) are picked out in red. The rearing lion opposite the unicorn is worked in gold bricking with mane and fur details picked out in purl, bead eyes, and a crown of passing, red velvet, and spangles.
Below the medallion is a banner on soft blue silk bordered with a double row of twist. The words of the royal motto - 'DIEU ET MON DROIT' (translating to 'God and my right') are worked on gold spangles. Floral designs around the banner incorporate satin and straight stitches to highlight the thistle leaves and shamrock centres, and a small twist trellis for the thistle head. Below the banner, at the bottom of the central panel is an orb which has couching in a circle, flat cutwork, and small purl loops.
Burses were ceremonial pouches intended to protect the contents from damage, and this particular example would have been used for Lord Chancellors to keep the Great Seal. The Great Seal would be affixed to any and all official documents and signified the monarch's authoritative signature. As such, it was carried with great pomp and circumstance and decorated accordingly with the current monarch's initials, and the royal coat of arms. In this case the monarch's initials are 'VR', Victoria Regina.
Similar, older examples in the same vein include a burse for Queen Elizabeth I's Great Seal held at the Victoria and Albert Museum (T.40-1986), one for George I at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (64.101.1363), and one for George III at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1916.1366.a). The Museum of London also has a Victorian Irish burse (81-77) that looks almost identical except the harps are a mirror image of each other.
Maziere Brady was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1846. He served in that office, with short intervals, until 1866. This means that this object was made and used between 1846 and 1866. Given that he served three terms within those 20 years, three burses were made for him. This is one of those three. What is now the Republic of Ireland was, at that time, part of the United Kingdom.
The burse, which is framed, features the heavily padded coat of arms of the United Kingdom surrounded by six winged seraphim or cherubim, four thistles, two Irish harps, and four cornucopias worked with heavy metal thread embroidery on red velvet. The Latin inscription which borders the arms reads, 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE', translating to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it', the motto of the Order of the Garter.
The entire piece is framed by a woven metal ribbon. The inner border has a background scattered with cutwork stars. There is a cherub in each corner, one top centre, and one bottom centre. The central cherubs are flanked by two cornucopias. Techniques include a looped twist worked in straight rows on the cherubs' hair, with high relief padding on their faces covered in silver bricking. The couching becomes untidy over the cherub's cheeks, likely because the padding became difficult to work through at that thickness. Facial features are added with black and cream silk. Their wings are worked in flat cutwork with pearl purl outlines, the corner cherubs have their wings furled, and the central cherubs have their wings outstretched to reflect the design of the cornucopias.
The cornucopia's horns are worked in silver bricking over padding and decorated with flat cutwork and pearl purl outlines. They contain daisies worked with purl loops around convex spangles. The leaves are worked in cutwork with bright check and smooth purl and the foliage beneath the daisies is worked in basketweave.
The harp medallions are worked in silver bricking with sprays of cutwork leaves around the oval frame. A pearl purl border frames the harp in the centre which is worked in cutwork with pearl purl for the strings. The harps are not a mirror image of each other.
The thistle motifs above and bellow the harp medallions are heavily padded. The body of the flower is picked out in cutwork over silver bricking with pearl purl highlights. Three large leaves are worked in basketweave and the finer pointed leaves are worked in bright check and smooth purl.
The coat of arms is in a central panel decorated with a lattice worked in foil-wrapped cord, couched down with silver thread. A small circle of spangles is at the centre of each lattice square. The initials 'V' and 'R', the monarch's initials, are picked out in cutwork at the top of the section.
The crest consists of a central medallion divided into four sections: two have three cutwork rampaging lions on a cream silk ground. Also included are a cutwork harp with pearl purl strings on a blue silk ground and a red silk rampaging lion worked on a ground of gold bricking. Around the medallion is a blue velvet banner with lettering in gold cutwork reading 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE', translating to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it'. Above the medallion is the royal crown worked in silver and gold bricking with two gold cutwork fleur de lis and gems picked out with green and red silk. The top of the crown is finished with large spangles edged with gold twist and the body of the crown is padded with red velvet.
On the right of the medallion is a rearing unicorn worked in silver bricking with a gold bricked mane and tail and cutwork hooves. His horn is gold plate couched with passing and a pearl purl border. His harness and chain are bullion links and fine details (tongue, inner ears, collar details) are picked out in red. The rearing lion opposite the unicorn is worked in gold bricking with mane and fur details picked out in purl, bead eyes, and a crown of passing, red velvet, and spangles.
Below the medallion is a banner on soft blue silk bordered with a double row of twist. The words of the royal motto - 'DIEU ET MON DROIT' (translating to 'God and my right') are worked on gold spangles. Floral designs around the banner incorporate satin and straight stitches to highlight the thistle leaves and shamrock centres, and a small twist trellis for the thistle head. Below the banner, at the bottom of the central panel is an orb which has couching in a circle, flat cutwork, and small purl loops.
Burses were ceremonial pouches intended to protect the contents from damage, and this particular example would have been used for Lord Chancellors to keep the Great Seal. The Great Seal would be affixed to any and all official documents and signified the monarch's authoritative signature. As such, it was carried with great pomp and circumstance and decorated accordingly with the current monarch's initials, and the royal coat of arms. In this case the monarch's initials are 'VR', Victoria Regina.
Similar, older examples in the same vein include a burse for Queen Elizabeth I's Great Seal held at the Victoria and Albert Museum (T.40-1986), one for George I at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (64.101.1363), and one for George III at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1916.1366.a). The Museum of London also has a Victorian Irish burse (81-77) that looks almost identical except the harps are a mirror image of each other.
Maziere Brady was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1846. He served in that office, with short intervals, until 1866. This means that this object was made and used between 1846 and 1866. Given that he served three terms within those 20 years, three burses were made for him. This is one of those three. What is now the Republic of Ireland was, at that time, part of the United Kingdom.
Dimensions
width: 52cm
height: 59cm
height: 59cm
Materials
Stitches
Bricking 
Couching
Couching in a circle (goldwork)
Basketweave (goldwork)
Cutwork purls over soft string
Flat cutwork (goldwork)
Pearl purl application
Spangles held on with purls
Plunging
Felt padding
Soft string padding
Plate application
Trellis
Gold twist application
Satin stitch
Stem stitch
Couching
Couching in a circle (goldwork)
Basketweave (goldwork)
Cutwork purls over soft string
Flat cutwork (goldwork)
Pearl purl application
Spangles held on with purls
Plunging
Felt padding
Soft string padding
Plate application
Trellis
Gold twist application
Satin stitch
Stem stitch
Techniques
Motifs
Credit line
Gift of Andrew Brunskill, 2018.
Catalogue number
COL.2018.59
Other numbers
RSN 2295
© Royal School of Needlework