homes have all vanished or have left mere vestiges behind; but of these many have been already noted down in Bohemia and Moravia.
The costumes and manufactures of the people are of no small value towards the history of national culture, and in helping us to a knowledge of the mind and character of the nation, though many now consider this study trifling. But this might be said with equal right of the study of dress, manners, dwellings and habits amongst the nobility and townspeople of olden times, which are carefully traced, and were only trifling for this reason, that neither one nor the other show any particular characteristic in our country, because life amongst those circles moved along in the beaten path of their time, which at every period was more or less the same in the whole of middle Europe.
Formerly no attention was bestowed upon the rustic population; every contemporary considered their manners and customs so well known that it never occurred to any one to write upon the subject, and se we have nothing to help us to some knowledge of them except popular ballads and tales, wooden buildings, and some of their home-industry.
If the songs of a people may be considered as, specimens of their music and poetry, the capacity for ornamental needle-work such as embroidery, and the adornment of dwellings and costumes may be taken as measures and proofs of their artistic capacity, appearing in the forms and colours of those ornaments.
For many years these designs and colours have been gradually mellowing and developing in style, until they have arrived at a degree of perfection, which is a true independent reflexion of the national mind.
The embroideries of the Čechoslovenic peasantry are so varied in shape and so manifold in conception, colour and mode of working, that we may freely assert they surpass in this respect the popular needlework of all European nations.
The Moravian and Slovenic embroideries are no doubt more characteristic, showing only here and there something of oriental designs, while the Bohemian needle-work, which is a good deal influenced by the west of Europe, excels in accuracy of execution, and in the national style of the ornaments.
We say that the Bohemian embroidery shows a good many traces of western influence. The most prominent of these are the barocq and rococo styles, which appear especially in the stitches and patterns of the lace of those times.
We doubt if any of our contemporary connoisseurs would undertake to express a decisive opinion about the costumes and embroideries of Bohemia, or venture to state unhesitatingly, at which time any one of them arose, how it changed with the progress of time, technical appliances and changes of material (silk, glass pearls & cet), and which of the patterns have preserved the most antique character.
We think that the variegated embroidery of the south of Bohemia, which is still preserved about the town of Tabor, is, as far as the pattern is concerned, the oldest (see Plate XXI., XXII.). It shows large blossoms, simple in order and connexion, which viewed as a whole has a harmonious effect, but if closely observed, presents many things not exactly in accordance with our taste, that have doubtless been introduced at a later period into the ancient patterns. For instance, besides variegated there are also small gold and glass beads employed, greatly to the detriment of these works.
Central Bohemia and the country about the town of Plzeň excel in beautiful white embroidery which is done either in flat or raised satin-stitch, filled up in some spots with rich and varied openwork stitches or covered with closely worked knotted stitch.
The patterns are multiform, complicated and ingeniously grouped, sometimes also, it is true, in rather doubtful taste and even a good deal spoiled by the evident influence of the rococo lace and embroidery of the Empire.
As a particular characteristic of Bohemian patterns may be pointed out the frequent use of the rosette; it is often very much varied and branched, so that at first view it is sometimes not immediately discernable.
