Rare Elizabethan Silk Embroidery with Saints, Insects, Pea-pods: C16th English

The earliest embroidery we’ve ever had in our studio collection, this rare 16th century Elizabethan silk embroidery.

With depictions of Saint Catherine (of the wheel) and a male Saint/figure surrounded by flowering plants, pea pods, insects and on the left hand side a woman in a gable hood, under which was worn a coif -which went out of fashion in the 1520’s.

Also shown and which are attributed to St Catherine, a wheel, a sword, a crown at her feet, a dove and a book.

Possibly once part of a casket, or perhaps covering a book the embroidery had the remains of glue all around the outer edges which has been professionaly removed.

Some surface losses to silk embroidery with an overall patina of age with some marks, stains around the outer edges of the canvas ground, as to be expected in a textile of this antiquity.

The embroidery has been professionally surface cleaned, stretched and mounted over a covered and interlined conservation board and has been finished with an inner mount covered in Italian linen before framing.

Measurements: 

40cm X 32.5cm