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tambour
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Tamboured net from Limerick, Ire., 1887; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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Embroidery
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Tamboured net from Limerick, Ire., 1887; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Tamboured net from Limerick, Ire., 1887; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

tambour

embroidery
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History

tambour, embroidery worked on material that has been stretched taut on a tambour frame, which consists of two wooden hoops, one slightly larger than the other, fitting close together. The embroidery is worked with a needle or a tambour hook. When an expanse of material has to be covered that is too large for a fixed square frame, it is possible to do the work in stages on a tambour frame, stretching different portions of the material at a time. The frame is portable and suitable for carrying work around. Early examples of tambour work come from China, India, Persia, and Turkey. It was popular in Europe and the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.