Jane Austen's Hand Embroidered Handkerchief For Sister Cassandra Awarded Conservation Grant Funding

Jane Austen's House has successfully secured grant funding from The Textile Society to conserve Cassandra Austen's embroidered handkerchief.

The Jane Austen’s House collection contains several items of dress and needlework hand-stitched by Jane herself. These items are incredibly scarce and fragile, requiring specialist care to preserve and display them. Among them is a delicate linen handkerchief embroidered by Jane Austen for her sister Cassandra, featuring the initials ‘C.A’ in one corner, surrounded by a floral design.

The handkerchief was donated to the House in the late 1950s by an Austen family descendent, and has been on display ever since. However, the delicate handkerchief has grown more fragile, and earlier this year it was removed from display for remedial conservation work. This work will  take place this fall, supported by generous funding from The Textile Society.

The handkerchief will receive specialist conservation treatment and a bespoke display mount by Morwena Stephens, enabling it to return to display in 2025 as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Jane’s birth. Along the way, research into its manufacture and materials will be undertaken by Shelley Tobin, a dress and textile historian, increasing  understanding of the object.

As it returns to display next year, new photography and interpretation will improve access and insight for visitors and scholars at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton and online.

"We are excited to fund this project which will secure the long term preservation of this wonderful object," said Suzanne Smith, Textile Society Awards and Bursaries Representative. "Research, photography and new interpretation will improve access and insight and be of great interest to the Textile Society’s membership and textile enthusiasts worldwide."