. "Feather quill, wrapped with gold silk thread and wire, bunch of flowers made using curled wire loops wound with silk ribbons and silk floss in red & green."@en . "2021-02-10T00:00:00"^^ . "Posy, bunch of flowers made using curled wire loops wound with silk ribbons and silk floss in red & green, Great Britain, ca. 1854"@en . . "This posy is an unusual example of Victorian handicraft. The flowers are made from curled wire, looped and wound with silk ribbons and coloured silk floss yarn. The stem is a long feather quill wrapped in gold silk thread and wire. It is associated with a 1854 wedding in the donor\u2019s family, but was probably intended as an accessory for an evening dress.\n\nMany young middle- and upper-class women in the 19th century were supported by fathers, husbands or male guardians. They were not expected to work for a living, and so had to find pastimes to occupy their spare time. Needlework was considered a particularly desirable skill. Women\u2019s magazines suggested a variety of other handicrafts such as featherwork, wax-flower modelling, and painting china. This posy would have been made at home using readily available materials, and is a rare survival."@en .