What role did women play in the creation and dissemination of Anglo-Saxon embroidery?

Anglo-Saxon embroidery held significant social and cultural value, and women were central to its creation and dissemination. They not only crafted the embroideries but also influenced their style, function, and circulation, thereby shaping aspects of early medieval society.

Elite women, exemplified by Queen Ælfflæd, commissioned elaborate ecclesiastical embroideries like the Cuthbert stole and maniple. This patronage had political and religious ramifications. While excluded from the church sanctuary, Ælfflæd's commission allowed her to express piety, influence church figures, and have her name associated with sacred objects. Wealthier women were taught embroidery, turning it into a prized skill. As Lester-Makin notes, “Those who produced gold-work embroidery were the female equivalent of goldsmiths and would have been held in high esteem."

Beyond the elite, professional embroiderers like Leofgyth and Aelfgyth, recorded in the Domesday Book, derived income and status from their craft. While operating from estates or urban centers, these embroiderers produced secular and ecclesiastical textiles. By trading and transferring embroidery know-how they helped in the dissemination of skills and techniques across different geographical locations.

Through their craft, women expressed and negotiated religious beliefs, social status, and political power. The Kempston fragment, found in a female burial, illustrates how embroidery might carry amuletic significance or serve as a contact relic. The Bayeux Tapestry demonstrates women's capabilities as skilled laborers, as it was made in a workshop setting. This complex work may have facilitated the transmission of stylistic elements from earlier periods.

In conclusion, women were instrumental in Anglo-Saxon embroidery. They were its primary creators, commissioners, disseminators, and a factor in its cultural significance, contributing to a rich tapestry of artistic and social influence within the Anglo-Saxon world.