Pronkrol by Cato de Keijzer

Part of a sampler ('Pronkstuk') made in 1909 by Cato de Keijzer (TRC 2014.0938). The sampler is more than seven metres long. The nightdress is a miniature garment stitched onto the sampler. Part of a sampler ('Pronkstuk') made in 1909 by Cato de Keijzer (TRC 2014.0938). The sampler is more than seven metres long. The nightdress is a miniature garment stitched onto the sampler. Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden, TRC 2014.0938

The Textile Research Centre in Leiden has a so-called pronkstuk or pronkrol. It is a long sampler of some 7.5 m long and 40 m wide, showing a wide variety of embroidery techniques and some miniature garments.

These samplers were made piece by piece by young girls in Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany. The exercises were sewn together, and the complete pronkrol was regatrded as some sort of certificate of the needlework skill levels reached by the girl.

This particular pronkrol was made by Cato de Keijzer, aged 15. Techniques include: Hardanger, cross stitch and other stitches, whitework, several forms of pulled thread work, crochet, buttons and buttonholes, lace work, etc.

See also a TRC blog of 2 May 2020 by Gillian Vogelsang: Learning a skill by starting small. Miniature garments in books and samplers.

Another, and even longer pronkstuk is TRC 2020.3535a, which was worked by Anna Bennink in 1905-1906.

See TRC online catalogue, TRC 2014.0938.

WV, 14 August 2021.

Last modified on Friday, 14 May 2021 19:36
Published in Samplers
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