Given by Mrs Ellen Hearn, Villa St Louis, Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) Formed part of the Alfred Williams Hearn gift of 1923. (Jan.2009) Tim Miller (FWK CONS): The casket was cleaned 10 or 15 years ago. One tiny fragment of striped glass found loose in the virginal matches that used on the casket and is not found anywhere on the virginal itself - could have happened when cleaned. (Feb.2009) Lesley Miller, Clare Browne (TEX): Silk behind the casket scenes is different to the silk behind the glass on the virginal. This is cream plain woven silk. Silver and silver gilt thread (braid) on silk ground - could be 17th century. Plain weave fabric could be linen - it is finely woven, dip dyed, patchy (linen doesn't take dye as well as silk does). No trace of the pink silk used on the casket can be found on the virginal. Boxes inside the casket: blue silk with pink selvedge. Thoughts: Linen was widely available everywhere but silk is more likely to be associated with Italy.