This rare needlework picture, circa 1800, depicts Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, surrounded by animals, birds, butterflies and flying cherubs. The tree is elaborately stitched with a very wicked looking serpent coiling around, about to bite into an apple held by Eve, Realistically stitched animals include a large horned stag in the lower right corner, something resembling a unicorn but with two horns on either side of the base of the tree, two chubby bunnies, a sheep with wool enhanced by bullion knots, and beneath the sheep a fierce lion. The sun is rendered in bullion and satin stitched on the left horizon. Stitches used include stem filling, satin, bullion knots, straight and back, with hand painted highlights on the faces, hands and hair of the characters. The embroidery is worked through a silk satin face backed with fine cotton. The picture was removed from the mount, gently vacuumed and mounted over acid free Fomecor covered with cotton fabric. The entire embroidery was covered with sheer polyester Stabilix attached at the edges and in several areas of damaged silk to stabilize loose fragments. The Birdseye maple frame with gold filet liner, possibly original, measures 21″ x 16″. The embroidery itself measures 16″ x 21″.

No longer available

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