Research:
Of polychrome silk threads on a moiré silk ground. One depicting a cornucopia, the other a classical vase with flowers, each within a gilt carton-pierre frame. Some small losses to silk background toward bottom of one picture. Minor restorations to frames.
The unusual character of the present needleworks is most clearly observable in the example centered by a neoclassical vase. The starkly geometric decoration of the vase contrasts with the ‘handles,’ inventively rendered as actual birds, clinging to the sides of the body of the vase. More notable still is the inclusion of the central scene within an oval reserve which depicts a hilltop complex of farm buildings with sheep at rest in the foreground.
The second needlework panel is also celebratory of nature being a cornucopia spilling flowers which include tulip, lily, forget-me-not, poppy, chrysanthemum, foxglove, wheat, and morrning glory. Down the ages the cornucopia has been a symbol of nature’s wealth, abundance and generosity, notably in the ancient world on a Greek vase painted by Orestes in the 4th century BC, to the Baroque era where spilling cornucopiae surround the famous portrait of the ten year old William of Orange.
Full research report available on request.