Embroidery

This embroidery, created during the late sixteenth century, comprises individual flower and animal motifs typical of the time. The work was made during the Elizabethan period (1558-1603), a time when artists were inspired by nature, and especially the beauty, medicinal, and nutritional properties of plants.

Design
In the sixteenth century it was popular to copy illustrations from books. The iris, rose, and pansy designs in this work were probably copied from 'herbals' - books that described plants and their properties. The birds, butterflies, snails, and caterpillars stitched between the flowers have probably been copied from a bestiary, a medieval moralising book with short descriptions of real or imaginary animals.

Technique and maker
The maker of this embroidery worked from right to left in tent stitch, a small diagonal needlepoint stitch, using silk thread on a yellow linen ground. At some point the lower left corner has been mended or reworked in a different thread.

Although the maker is unknown, the embroidery is probably the work of an amateur needlewoman, rather than a professional workshop.