Tambour Beaded Butterfly Definition
Tambour is the French word for drum and tambour work is embroidery done with a hook where the fabric must be stretched tight as a drum. The fabric is stretched and laced or sewn on on a rectangular frame or in a circular frame. A tambour hook makes one stitch, the chain stitch. The hook is held on top of the frame with the threaded beads or sequins underneath.

Other Names
  • Broderie de Lunéville or Crochet de Lunéville.
  • Limerick Lace is a type of Iris tambour work.
  • In India this type of work is called arhi or Zardozi.
  • Coggeshall is English Tambour hook Lace made in the first half of 19th century when machine made netting made this lace popular.
  • There is a place in Belgium called Lierse where a similar type of Tambour lace is still made called Lierse Kant.

History
Tambour work reportedly arrived in France in the 1720s from China. And it has a long history in India.