This design is inspired by a richly embroidered gentleman’s nightcap in the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s collection. Dating from the early seventeenth-century, the original cap is embroidered in coloured silks and silver-gilt thread and features symbolic motifs from nature typical of the period.

The nightcap was a popular item of headwear in Shakespeare’s time and would have been worn in the evening as an informal garment to relax in. As well as keeping the head warm, the nightcap came to serve as a fashionable status symbol. The exquisite decoration in this case would have indicated the wearer’s wealth, education and standing.

The nightcap design is in Jacobean embroidery. Jacobean is a term used to cover English style design from the reign of King James to King James II. Popular motifs in Jacobean embroidery are fanciful flower, plants, birds, and woodland animals. You can find rose, bird and strawberry pattern in this ‘Jacobean Dream’ design.

The Brand

Signare (pronounced sin-nar-ree) is a vibrant British lifestyle brand. We design, create and distribute stylish fashion bags and accessories from our warehouse and office in a quiet village in Surrey, England. We’ve taken the ancient art of tapestry and given it a modern twist. Every Signare product has its own personality and story to tell. Each bag being reproduced in exquisite woven detail. The ever-expanding range includes:

• Great masterpieces, such as Mona Lisa, Starry Night and Tree of Life.
• Works by famous design artists, including William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Charles Voysey.
• Patterns celebrating the lives and achievements of great figures from world history, including Jane Austen, Frida Kahlo, William Shakespeare.
• Designs that reflect the colour and variety of life itself. From garden wildlife to cute cats and adorable dogs, from historical landmarks to geometric patterns.

The Company

Founded in the UK in 2007, Signare is the largest tapestry accessories brand in the world, distributing to over 35 countries and over 3000 concessions.

Signare has teamed up with the V&A, the National Gallery, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and the Frida Kahlo Corporation etc. to support the artists through the creation of timeless pieces.

Signare breathes life into the art of tapestry by infusing it with a modern twist and showcasing art and attitude originally and beautifully. Up to now, Signare has created over 60 individual tapestry pattern and 30 distinct types of bags and home furnishing. With numerous designs being created each year, the Signare brand is growing stronger as more and more people fall in love with our mixture of unique and stylish products.

The Art of Tapestry

Tapestry is an ancient art dating back over 2000 years. In the UK and Europe, tapestry art was most prominent during the middle-ages. Barons and knights would adorn their castle walls with them for both decoration and warmth. A tapestry is started by stretching plain warp threads on a loom to create a grid. The coloured weft threads are then weaved in and out of the warp threads, building up a complete tapestry. Our production method uses modern mechanical looms which greatly speeds up what used to take weeks or months by hand.

A special characteristic of each Signare bag is that each one is unique. Signare means ‘Signature’ in Latin and we wish every customer to possess their own individual signature bag.