Celtic, Viking, & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery
Author – Jan Messent
Photographer – Roddy Paine Photographic
Publisher – Search Press Limited
Copyright – 2010
ISBN – 978-1-84448-409-6
Hardback – Pages 144
Jan Messent is a retired teacher of Art, History and English. In the 1950’s she became very involved with embroidery as an art form. Messent joined an Embroidery Guild and there she taught the members her skills. She taught the members not only how to embroidery by also to illustrate and design books. Messent lectured on her skills worldwide.
The Anglo- Saxon period of English History, particularly its embroidery, became one of Messent’s favorite works. In her studies, she found the period of time, the Anglo-Saxon period, was very influenced by Celtic Design and the Vikings of Scandinavia. In her book she gives a brief history of this time period and a description of the people of the time.
Messent’s book, Celtic, Viking & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery, includes writings of Celtic influence. She demonstrates with illustrations, what a book of stitches would have looked like for that time period. Other points of interest in her books are the Bayeux Stitch Book, the Dressing up Book, the Book of Ancient Accessories, the Book of Motifs and the Domesday Books.
Celtic, Viking, & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery’s illustrations are amazing. However, it will be a book I have acquired in my library that will be a shelf sitter. The embroidery work is much too difficult for the average person. It is a beautiful picture book but not a book one can learn from.
Book Review
Carole Walsh-Scott
