In what ways did trade and cultural exchange influence Anglo-Saxon embroidery techniques and designs?

Trade and cultural exchange profoundly impacted Anglo-Saxon embroidery by introducing new materials, motifs, and techniques. The book highlights this influence through the presence of silk and gold threads, materials not native to the British Isles but acquired through trade with Byzantium and the East. Designs from these regions also found their way into Anglo-Saxon art, including embroidery.

The Maaseik embroideries, for example, showcase Byzantine influence through their use of silk and gold threads, and potentially pearls. "The motifs seen on the eight Maaseik embroideries are closely related to similar motifs found on southern English artwork of the late 8th to early 9th centuries" indicating cultural exchange and adaptation of design elements. Likewise, the Llangorse textile exhibits motifs similar to those on Byzantine and Central Asian silks "pointing to designs from Byzantine and central Asian silks... with the lions with their three legs and spots on the Llangorse textile".

Even stitch techniques appear to have spread through trade and cultural contact. The potential Sami origin of the pulled wire used in the Ingleby fragment connects Anglo-Saxon embroidery to a wider Scandinavian trade network. The "stylised animals and balanced interlacing" show this, incorporating aspects of Roman and Byzantine design". Therefore, trade and cultural exchange were vital in shaping Anglo-Saxon embroidery, introducing new elements, and influencing design and overall development.