GLOVE (AS. gldf ; perhaps connected with Goth. iota, Icel. ldfi, Eng. loof, palm of the hand). A covering for the hand having a separate sheath for each finger, as distinguished from a mitten, in which there is a separate compartment for the thumb only. The glove is a very ancient article of dress. It has been found in the relics of the cave-dwellers, made of leather and sewn with leather thread. Gloves were worn by the ancient Greeks, but chiefly as a protection for the hands in doing heavy work, rather than as an orna mental part of the dress. By the Romans they were worn as ornaments, and were considered a sign of rank. While something in the form of a protection for the hands from cold must always have been needed by northern nations, gloves did not become an important article of dress until after the Norman Conquest. It is thought that the custom of carrying a pet falcon upon the wrist led to their general use. During the eighth and ninth centuries they were worn chiefly by persons of noble birth. Hence they were con sidered a sign of rank and were taken off, as a token of respect, before a superior or in churches.
They were worn in the hat as favors and cast down as a challenge. By the sixteenth century gloves were worn by all classes, and then, as now, were made of silk, worsted, and leather. Those worn by the wealthy were most elaborately orna mented with embroidery and lace. As early as 1190 a guild of glove-makers was formed in France, which took upon itself the task of main taining honest workmanship among glove-makers, and in constant improvements in methods of manufacture. In Scotland the glovers of Perth were incorporated in 1165. Nearly five centuries later a company of glovers was organized in London, and that city has been an important centre of glove manufacture ever since. At one time glove-making was an impor tant industry in Ireland. and the famous 'Limer ick' glove was widely esteemed for its exquisite texture and workmanship. For many centuries France has excelled in the number and quality of gloves manufactured in some of her cities.