Fruit Tree with Two Animals circa 1690

NEEDLEWORK PANEL OF A FRUIT TREE WITH TWO ANIMALS

Circa 1690

This colorful William III English needlework vignette is executed entirely in gros and petit point stitches (cross stitch over one and two threads of linen).  It depicts a large gros point fruiting tree above a scene with very finely stitched petit point leaves, flowers, and two animals, the larger animal likely a wolf, with a lamb slung over its shoulder.

The Eurasian wolves in Britain were huge, feared, and unlike many other species, did not exhibit “island dwarfism”.  They were persecuted by law since Norman times.  The last wolf in Britain was supposedly killed during the reign of Henry VII, who died in 1509, but due to a lack of records, the wolves of Britain might well have survived into the seventeenth century in remote areas such as Wales or Scotland.  As the land became increasingly deforested and more agrarian, their habitat and natural prey became limited and the wolves would have had to rely on domestic animals as prey.  The story goes that the last “wild”  wolf was shot near Killiecrankie, Scotland, in 1680 by Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheil.

Stitched on 32-count linen the reproduction panel will be the same size as the original- 9-1/2″ x 9-1/2″. The project is recommended for any skill level.