A single tab from the gauntlet of an early 17th-century glove illustrates how the embroidery for this type of accessory was carried out. The silver-gilt threads are couched onto the satin – that is, laid on the surface and secured with stitches in very fine silk. The coloured silk threads are worked through the satin ground.
A range of popular flowers such as roses, borage and cornflower, with strawberries and ears of wheat are typical motifs in early 17th-century embroidery in Britain. These are arranged in a geometric setting outlined in the silver-gilt thread, a pattern characteristic of Renaissance strapwork.