On the walls of Oxburgh Hall, a moated country house in Norfolk, hang a series of tapestries known as the Oxburgh hangings. This might appear to be standard sixteenth century embroidery at first, however the needlework is attributed to Scotland’s last queen, Mary Stuart (better known as Mary, Queen of Scots).
Mary spent the last eighteen and a half years of her life as a prisoner in England. During this time, alongside Beth of Hardwick (the wife of the Earl of Shrewsbury, under whose household she was a captive) and her ladies-in-waiting, she embroidered a series of around 100 panels, many of which remain today. The embroidery of the ill-fated queen now serves as insight into the world she inhabited and the boundaries of her existence.
Born the only surviving and legitimate child of James V of Scotland in 1542, Mary Stuart inherited the throne of Scotland at only six days old after his death. During her forty-four years of life, Mary saw religious and political change and upheaval, for much of which she was at the centre.
During her time as a prisoner, Mary created a world through her embroidery. Her designs were largely copied from woodcut illustrations in books, on a variety of topics from botanical plants and natural history to fantastical creatures such as unicorns. Aside from simply being a pastime, the use of emblems, symbols and designs on the embroidery gave Mary a means through which to make political, religious and intellectual statements.
One example of Mary making a political statement through embroidery is an embroidered scene of a crowned ginger cat toys with a grey mouse. This is understood to represent the complicated and unequal relationship between herself and her cousin and captor, the red-haired Elizabeth. The multitude of references which are seen in the panels also demonstrates the intellectual workings of Mary’s mind and the ideas from the world outside of captivity that she was in contact with.
After Mary’s death in 1587, the embroidered panels were given to Ann Dacre, Countess of Arundel. They are now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum collection, but on long-term loan at Oxburgh Hall. The hangings are a testament to Mary and her lady’s skill in embroidery, and her rich intellectual understandings. They demonstrate how, rather than just being a pastime, the sharp point of the needle could be used as a political and social weapon, which allowed women to make their mark on the world both in their lives and after.
“The Marian Tapestries at Oxborough Hall Norfolk” by kitmasterbloke is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
