Throwover
Object name
Maker
Date made
Circa 1911-1920
Place made
Description
Satin throwover belonging to Queen Mary of Teck, embroidered with silk and metal thread. 'May', Mary's nickname, is stitched on a corner that is tacked back, accompanied by the crown made for Queen Mary's coronation in 1911.
Content description
Circa 1911-1920 throwover belonging to Queen Mary of Teck, made of silk and metal threads on white silk satin. One corner, the object's bottom left, is tacked up to reveal the embroidered name 'May'. May was Queen Mary's nickname. The throwover also features an embroidered crown and a border of embroidered silk and metal flowers. Stitches involved include long and short, stem, satin, straight, French knot, couching, padding (goldwork), and S-ing. The embroidery's metal threads, triple check and purl, are tarnished.
The crown, with a body of metal threads and an interior of red silk threads, is a subtle variation on the crown made for Queen Mary of Teck for her coronation in 1911. This crown, with its alternating crosses and fleurs-de-lis, was altered for the coronation of Queen Camilla in 2023. The borders of the throwover are adorned in a repeating pattern of five-petalled metal thread flowers and buds flanked by groups of white and light pink five-petalled flowers. In between are leaves and stems in green and yellow threads. The corner of the throwover which has been tacked up, the one with the name 'May' embroidered upon it, has a border of pairs of white flowers accompanied by buds and green and yellow leaves. Fabric was later added to the back for the safe display of this object.
Mary of Teck (1867-1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India from 1910 to 1936 when her husband, George V, was king. She was a devoted collector of artefacts for the House of Windsor's collection and a keen domestic embroiderer. She became the patron of the Royal School of Needlework in 1911 and over the course of her more than 40 year long tenure donated a number of items to the RSN, including her own needlework and historical textiles from her collection.
We can date this embroidery to between approximately 1911 and 1920, given the inclusion of the crown and the style of the embroidery itself. Its style, stitching, and content suggest it may be the work of the Royal School of Art Needlework.
The crown, with a body of metal threads and an interior of red silk threads, is a subtle variation on the crown made for Queen Mary of Teck for her coronation in 1911. This crown, with its alternating crosses and fleurs-de-lis, was altered for the coronation of Queen Camilla in 2023. The borders of the throwover are adorned in a repeating pattern of five-petalled metal thread flowers and buds flanked by groups of white and light pink five-petalled flowers. In between are leaves and stems in green and yellow threads. The corner of the throwover which has been tacked up, the one with the name 'May' embroidered upon it, has a border of pairs of white flowers accompanied by buds and green and yellow leaves. Fabric was later added to the back for the safe display of this object.
Mary of Teck (1867-1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India from 1910 to 1936 when her husband, George V, was king. She was a devoted collector of artefacts for the House of Windsor's collection and a keen domestic embroiderer. She became the patron of the Royal School of Needlework in 1911 and over the course of her more than 40 year long tenure donated a number of items to the RSN, including her own needlework and historical textiles from her collection.
We can date this embroidery to between approximately 1911 and 1920, given the inclusion of the crown and the style of the embroidery itself. Its style, stitching, and content suggest it may be the work of the Royal School of Art Needlework.
Dimensions
width: 89cm
height: 58cm
height: 58cm
Materials
Stitches
Stem stitch 
Satin stitch
Long and short stitch
Straight stitch
French knot
S-ing (goldwork)
Couching
Padding (goldwork)
Satin stitch
Long and short stitch
Straight stitch
French knot
S-ing (goldwork)
Couching
Padding (goldwork)
Techniques
Motifs
Credit line
Gift of Her Majesty Queen Mary.
Catalogue number
RSN.117
© Royal School of Needlework