Bordado da Madeira

Madeira embroidery is worked by hand on linen, cambric or organdie in white or pale thread, in openwork, cutwork and satin stitch, producing tablecloths, napkins, handkerchiefs and blouses of a fineness that takes months per large piece. The industry began in the 1850s when Elizabeth Phelps, from a British wine family on the island, took local embroidery and organised its sale in England; it grew through the century and by the mid-twentieth century employed tens of thousands of women across the island, most working from home in the villages while agents distributed the marked cloth and collected the finished work. It remains a real industry, protected by a certification mark issued after inspection - a lead seal or holographic label - and the institute in Funchal regulates and displays it. Competition from machine imitations and cheaper imports has shrunk it heavily and the embroiderers are ageing.

What you actually see

• The stitching - openwork and cutwork on fine linen and organdie, worked by hand.
• The certification - a seal or label issued after inspection, distinguishing genuine work.
• The 1850s origin - an industry organised by a British wine family for export.
• The home-work system - marked cloth distributed to village embroiderers and collected.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours visiting showrooms and the institute. Weekdays for the institute's exhibition and any demonstration.

Honest expectations

Machine-made imitations are sold widely and cheaply, including in Funchal - look for the certification seal. Genuine pieces cost hundreds of euros. Watching embroiderers work is not guaranteed; most work from home. The trade is declining.

Nearby

The Funchal market and old town are close; the wicker workshops at Camacha are inland.