It is sometimes claimed that cross stitch embroidery is the oldest known type of embroidery (see e.g. Gillow and Sentance 1999:181), but this is incorrect. The oldest surviving embroideries appear to come from the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamun (died: c. 1323 BC) and no cross stitches were used to decorate these pieces; instead, chain stitch is the most common form of embroidery among the decorative pieces from the royal tomb.
See also the TRC Needles entry on the horizontal cross stitch.
Sources:
- GILLOW, John and Bryan SENTANCE (1999), World Textiles: A Visual Guide to Traditional Techniques. Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown, p. 181.
- THOMAS, Mary (1934). Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, London: Hodder and Stoughton, p. 110.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 6th July 2016).
GVE