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A journey in Exeter with Carne Griffiths
Hand & Lock have had the opportunity to work on a project of great importance for Exeter City Council. One of their most prized possessions is the City’s Cap of Maintenance and Scabbard which was originally presented to the council as a black cloth cap in (1450) by Henry the Sixth and was later converted to a wonderful gold wire embroidered piece in the 16th Century. Hand & Lock’s task is to reproduce the embroidered panels in the exact style of the original so that a new version of the cap can be made. In researching and studying the cap Hand & Lock’s draughtsman Carne Griffiths has discovered new techniques in a piece over 200 years old.
“It is never surprising to me that we can learn so much from studying archival items such as the Exeter City Cap of Maintenance” Carne said, adding that “these techniques will now find their way into embroidery for Hand & Lock. The key to developing modern embroidery is to learn to appreciate and understand the wealth of techniques that we find in historical pieces and use these in a new context.”
After visiting the Town Hall at Exeter a number of times and studying the Cap, Hand & Lock have produced a series of annotated drawings detailing the techniques involved and explaining how to achieve the different levels of relief employed in the Cap, especially in the detail of the Exeter City Crest which is displayed on the crown.
To start the embroidery it has been necessary to have specially produced threads and wires by Bill Barnes of Golden threads, the velvet ground for the Cap has also been carefully selected to match the areas of the cap least affected by wear and tear.
We will chart the progress of the Cap of maintenance including drawings card cuttings and embroidery on our website at a later date. Please check the website regularly if you wish to see the development.
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