At first I thought this delightful small embroidery might be May Morris, due to the design, but the silks are not those she would have used, so I can only suggest Arts & Crafts. I am not sure what this would have been used for. With the braid and corner tassels it looks like a table mat, but surely it was too beautiful to put your cup of tea on it!
The grass green brocade ground with a central flowerhead with outstretched and folded leaves, in shades of apricot and soft terracotta, the centre with yellow speckled seeds, outlined in gold couching thread, the four corners with large tulips in similar shades as well as yellow, their leves in shades of green, interspersed with sunflowers with trellis centres of seeds, the borders with goldbraid, tassels to the corners, all in fine floss silks, the backing of pale blue silk, stiffened with a board.
10 1/2 in; 17 cm square
Very good. Lovely colours and composition. One corner tassel is missing. There are three small darkish marks to the centre flower, one to the lower left hand tulip and a little area to the right hand tulip. A very small hole to below the top left hand tulip. Ask for photos if you can't see. Overall an enchanting embroidery.
All images and text © meg-andrews.com 2021
