Bearing cloth, crimson velvet bound with gold braid applied borders of gold and silver spangled lace, highlighted with hand cut spangles, lined with silk, made in 1667 for the christening of a member of the Buxton family
A newborn baby would be wrapped in a bearing cloth such as this in order to be taken to church for their christening by their Godmother; traditionally this would have been done as soon as possible after birth, due to the high infant mortality rates of the time. This is a rare object - the only other surviving cloth of comparable type to this one is housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. That cloth was a christening gift from King James II and VII (1633 - 1701) to one of his godchildren - and it is suspected that this cloth also has a royal connection.
