Geborduurde muts before 1874

Isabel Agnes Cowper created this image of an embroidered cap, sometime before her death in 1911. But it's not the object itself, but an image reproduced in a book which is the artwork in question. The book reproduces images of decorative objects from the 15th and 16th centuries. In this context, how does the image create meaning? Firstly, through its composition, which sets up a dialogue between the textual description and the image, both of which claim the status of 'evidence'. Secondly, in the way that Cowper's image is intended to stand in for the object itself. We can consider the institutional history of embroidery and needlework. From the medieval guilds to the Arts and Crafts movement, to the present day, embroidery has played a role in the shaping of social class, gender and artistry. Historians will need to do further research using the index of the book and other library resources to understand the image better. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.