BANNER FIRESCREEN

'One of a pair of banner firescreens worked in 36 seperate tapestry squares, eachs quare variously initialled. with silk cord edging and tassels. Late Georgian period'. Square of heavy fabric worked with numerous pictures of people, animals, birds and flowers in numerous colours, eahc square edged in black.Ground dark green. Top edge covered with black binding, other three edges trimmed with red, yellow, green and black cord. ending in tassels at lower corners. Backed with green silk.
[12/6/1990 addition from Thyra Robertson anf Judith Penell, Embroiderers guild]:
The embroidery appears to be mainly done with fine woollen thread but some of the highlights are in silk thread. The different initials indicate that this was a group project. The embroidery of the diagonal lines between the squares is cross stitch over two threads instead of one. This embroidery would have been worked on a slate frame, which is a square frame fastened wither vertically or horozonitally on a stand. The embroiderer sits at the frame to work on the embroidery. Some of the motifs are Elizebethan butterflies, others are late 18th Century.

Department: 

Collection

History Collection

Collection Item Data