George Eliot’s gloves

These fine kid gloves belonged to George Eliot. Although these gloves might not be a proper pair. The left palm is broader and the right has much longer fingers. While no two hands are the same there might be something intriguing behind this size difference. After Eliot’s death her long time Coventry friend, Cara Bray, reported that Eliot had claimed her right hand was larger than the left due to butter making. This story is explored in Kathryn Hughes’ book Victorians Undone.