The Hobby Horse and the Concertina Player

The Hobby Horse and the Concertina Player. Painting inspired by the folk tradition from Kent, England of Hodening, the Hobby Horse. A variation of Mumming performed as part of the Christmas season pageantry. A small play or procession where a hobby horse, or someone dressed as a horse would be paraded from place to place to collect money for alms or entertainment.
Original painting acrylic on canvas board 8" x 10".
Does not contain the "My Good Babushka" watermark that was included here for security purposes.

The Biddenden Maids Embroidery

 

Mary and Elisa Chulkhurst are the Biddenden Maids. Conjoined twins supposedly born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder and the hip, and to have lived for 34 years. It is claimed that on their death they gave five plots of land to the village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands. The income from these lands was used to pay for an annual dole of food and drink to the poor every Easter. Since at least 1775, the dole has included Biddenden cakes, hard biscuits imprinted with an image of two conjoined women. It is doubtful that the maids existed. There has never been a record of twins joined at the hip and shoulder, and some researchers have suggested that the women printed on the biscuit were meant to be the image of poor widows to whom the charity was given.

This is my embroidered tribute to the extraordinary, imaginary creatures and their lovely story. Hand embroidered with cotton floss on cotton canvas, approximately 8 and 3/4" x 11". Stretched over a paper board mount, matted and framed. One of a kind artwork.
You can find purchasing information on the Biddenden Maids at My Good Babushka.

Biddenden Maids Embroidery

Legendarily, the great conjoined benefactors of the poor in medieval Biddenden. I am making a hand embroidered tribute to them inspired by the oldest remaining biscuit molds that bear their image.

The Biddenden Maids Embroidery

Mary and Elisa Chulkhurst were known as the Biddenden Maids, conjoined twins born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder and the hip, and to have lived for 34 years. On their death they gave five plots of land to the village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands. The income from these lands was used to pay for an annual gift of food and drink to the poor every Easter. Since at least 1775, the dole has included Biddenden cakes, biscuits imprinted with an image of two conjoined women.

This is my embroidered tribute to the story of the maids.