RSN.91 | RSN Collection & Archive

Picture

Circa 1900

United Kingdom

Circa 1900 silkwork picture of a flowering and fruiting tree upon which sits a bird. The picture is worked in an array of pink silk threads on a white silk ground.

Circa 1900 silkwork picture of a flowering and fruiting tree with a bird atop it. The picture is worked in an array of pink silk threads on a white silk ground. Stitches include long and short, satin, stem, slanted stem, straight, fly, fly stitch filling, cross bar filling trellis, spaced cross stitch filling, cloud filling, fishbone, trellis, and herringbone, as well as variations on some of those stitches. The tree, branches, leaves, fruit, petals, and bird are primarily worked in long and short, satin, stem, and slanted stem, whereas the more decorative filling stitches are worked within some of the flower structures and the bird's body. Though many of the flowers and fruits are stylised and therefore purposefully unidentifiable, it is possible to identify a trio of pears in the bottom left corner.

The picture's composition, specifically the undulating tree branches and large, stylised flowers, is reminiscent of Jacobean crewelwork. It is likely that the maker of this object took inspiration from the Jacobean crewelwork revival, which took place in the final decades of the 19th century and the early 20th century, but chose to depict the motifs in silk shading on silk instead of in wool threads on linen.

width: 104cm
height: 56cm

silk
silk thread

Long and short stitch