51/160

A ‘bowed horse’ type of pillow stand for lacemaking made mostly of mahogany with ball turned legs and stretchers.
This is a ‘bowed horse’ type of pillow stand for lacemaking and is made mostly of mahogany with ball turned legs and stretchers. The donor believed that it probably came from a large farm or manor house, rather than a cottage, because of its fine quality.

1 pillow stand: wood

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Originally, the lace pillow was supported partly be the knee of the worker and partly by a three-legged pillow horse. This type of horse was called a SINGLE HORSE. Later a bow was added, so that the pillow was supported entirely by the horse. This was called a BOWED HORSE. A pillow stand was also referred to as the LADY or the MAID. Mr. Massingham obtained this stand from Miss Armes of Burford (Oxon). It is a bowed horse made of mahogany, except for the hoop which joins the legs to the pillow rest, and which is made of pliable wood. The legs and stretchers are ball-turned. Mr. Massingham doubts whether such a fine piece of furniture was made for a cottager and suggest that it may have come from a large farm or manor house. The stand measures 25 inches in height.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/160 // NAME: LACEMAKER'S PILLOW STAND // NEG NO.: 35/230 // STORAGE: P.Ex. (Permanent Exhibition) Handcrafts.'

Wood, mahogany, Wood