The Tree of Life

British

Not on view

Figurative needlework in Tudor and Stuart homes often adorned cushion covers or table and cupboard carpets. A talented female amateur likely sewed this piece, using a professionally prepared kit with the design outlined in advance on canvas. Fruit-bearing trees sheltering wildlife were especially popular patterns. The scenes acted as reminders of Biblical abundance: both the Creation and the promise of the celestial Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life, Canvas worked with silk thread; tent, Gobelin, and couching stitches, British

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The Tree of Life, Canvas worked with silk thread; tent, Gobelin, and couching stitches, British
The Tree of Life, Canvas worked with silk thread; tent, Gobelin, and couching stitches, British
The Tree of Life, Canvas worked with silk thread; tent, Gobelin, and couching stitches, British

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