A major new work of embroidery celebrating the Company’s history, the heritage craft of fine needlework and the revival of the rare medieval stitch known as Opus Anglicanum.
Worshipful Company of Upholders Unveils Landmark “Circle of Life” Pall to Mark 400th Charter Anniversary
Created over the course of a year, the project brings together the expertise of the Royal School of Needlework, a new design by international iconographer Aidan Hart, embroidery teams from twelve English cathedrals and prisoners working with the charity Fine Cell Work.
The participating cathedral teams are from Lichfield, Durham, St Paul’s, Derby, Liverpool, Norwich, Winchester, St Alban’s, Exeter, Salisbury, Lincoln and Southwell Minster. Each team has contributed to a unique embroidered panel, incorporating a silhouette of its own cathedral within the wider design.
Opus Anglicanum, once among England’s most celebrated embroidery traditions, flourished in the medieval period and is renowned for its refined stitchwork and use of gold and silver wirework. The Circle of Life project has reintroduced this all-but-lost stitch to contemporary makers through a nationally significant collaborative commission.
The Worshipful Company of Upholders received its Royal Charter from King Charles I in 1626. The Charter marked an important moment in the Company’s history, supporting the quality of upholstery materials sold in the City of London and fostering education within the trade.
The anniversary project has two components. The first is the Circle of Life: a circular piece of luxury wool cloth more than 2.3 metres in diameter, featuring an outer circle of twelve detachable embroidered panels. The panels depict scenes from the Upholders’ history, including mattress-making, the Great Fire of London and a funeral cortege.
The design also includes the Upholders’ crest, two sparvers — the tent-like symbols on the Company’s crest — and two crosses produced through Fine Cell Work.
The second component is a funeral pall: an additional luxury wool cloth designed to cover a coffin at a funeral, to which selected panels, crosses, the crest and sparvers can be attached.
The Royal School of Needlework managed the project, with each cathedral team led by an experienced stitcher skilled in Opus Anglicanum. In April, the embroidered panels were completed and delivered to the Royal School of Needlework, where they were brought together with the support of cathedral volunteer stitchers.
Cathedral Champions visited each participating cathedral to present stitchers with certificates and invitations to the unveiling ceremony at the Guildhall on Thursday 9 July.
The £100,000 project has been made possible through generous donations, including support from the Worshipful Company of Drapers and the Worshipful Company of Broderers, together with underwriting from the Worshipful Company of Upholders and its charity.
Following the unveiling, the Circle of Life will be housed in a circular timber frame with museum-quality glass. Plans are being developed for the work to tour to each participating cathedral over a three-year period, giving the wider public the opportunity to see the craftsmanship of each cathedral embroidery team.
The Company also plans to mark this historic achievement with a commemorative book featuring the design work of the pall, associated photography, the history of the Upholders and the names of individual contributors to the project.
A spokesperson for the Company, said,
‘This is a piece of work of national importance and the Upholders would like to thank everyone concerned for their diligence, expertise and attention to detail in producing this amazing embroidered artwork.’
