Schumacher | Royal Silk Embroidery

Royal Silk Embroidery takes its cue from the gown worn by Elizabeth I in Nicholas Hilliard's 1599 portrait, a garment embroidered with mythical sea creatures, exotic flora and fanciful birds. Each motif is hand-stitched onto a pearl-toned silk and linen ground using 58 distinct hand-dyed colours, the work of 25 artisans over 30 weeks to produce 100 yards. The result is a cloth of considerable intricacy and scale, the embroidery both elaborate and eccentric.

Made in India from 82 per cent silk and 18 per cent linen, it is 136 centimetres wide with a vertical repeat of 80 centimetres and a horizontal that runs the full width. Dry cleaning is recommended. It is suited to curtains, blinds, cushions and upholstery where the embroidered surface can be displayed without abrasion.