textile panel

C. Napier-Hemy

Summary

Embroidered panel showing woman in white robe, playing a recorder. Face is painted. Is a pair with 1922.1859.

Display Label

The Mary Greg Collection Mary Greg appeared to be a compulsive collector who could not resist the curious and bizarre. She collected thousands of diverse objects: basketware, keys, thimbles and even stuffed frogs! However, there was a serious purpose to her collection. Like her husband Thomas Greg, the ceramics collector, she was interested in pre-industrial hand-made objects. Collecting during the late 1800s and early 1900s, she tried to preserve examples of traditional skills, which were fast-disappearing or even already lost. In many ways, Mary Greg was a pioneer. She acquired many everyday domestic objects which were not valued by other collectors at the time and consequently are now regarded as rare. She wanted her collection to have an educational role, and gave generously to museums during her life-time. Unusually for her time, she bought items for children in order for museums to establish childrens' corners.