Leather gloves, English, about 1645

These light brown kid leather gloves, dating from the 1640s, boast embellished cuffs and were a sign of status in the 17th century. They were often presented as gifts at New Year, Valentine’s Day, christenings and marriages. The gauntlets of this pair are embroidered with a pattern of birds and tulips worked in brightly coloured silk threads with a looped fringe of silver thread around the edge.

The gloves are said to have belonged to Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), leader of the Parliamentarians during the Civil Wars. Tradition has it that he left them behind, together with a cap and two combs, at Chard in Somerset when he retreated before the advancing army of Charles I (1600-1649) in July 1645. Allegedly these items were placed in a Chard church vault, where they stayed until c.1935 when the owner of the vault gave them away to settle a debt. Mr John Hunt then sold the set to Sir William Burrell for £65 in 1937, together with two letters authenticating the claim. However, the association with Cromwell cannot be fully verified as whilst the gloves are of a style contemporary to Cromwell’s era, the cap is of a much later date.