Doggersbanklint after 1781

This Doggersbanklint was carefully made from linen, embroidered with silk, and painted with watercolors by an anonymous artist. Notice how the smooth, absorbent nature of the linen invites detailed needlework and delicate painting. The imagery, with its flags and heraldic symbols, likely signifies a specific group, perhaps a maritime association connected to the Dogger Bank fishing area in the North Sea. The word ‘Doggersbank’ appears next to each image. Given the scale and delicacy, this piece would have taken considerable skill and time to produce. We can only imagine who made this object, and what their position was in relation to the depicted social group. This kind of textile work was often the domain of women, whose labor was essential to the creation of flags and regalia. By focusing on the materiality and making of this work, we start to understand its deeper significance, seeing it not just as a decorative object but as a document of labor and social identity.