Man's Waistcoat Gallery Front View

Embroidering fashionable accessories in wool yarn on canvas was a popular pastime for leisured Victorian ladies. Thousands of needlework patterns were exported from Germany to Britain, France, and the United States, where the technique was known as “Berlin work.” This vivid vest features a repeating pattern of startled foxes, the targets of popular, vicious hunts by horses and hounds throughout the British Isles. In 2004, this traditional sport of the aristocracy was made illegal due to growing awareness for the humane treatment of animals.