Description:
Framed needlework picture done in polychrome silk and metallic thread on white satin silk which is lined in linen. This type of work is sometimes known as stumpwork, or "raised work," where parts of the embroidered or appliqued design are padded to make them stand out. The scene shows Orpheus playing his lyre (a musical instrument), surrounded by the sun and moon, and various fauna and flora. Primary animals (large and/or raised) include a stag, leopard, boar, rooster, horse, bird, grasshopper, butterflies, snail, dragonflies, and caterpillars. Secondary animals include two doves, spiders, beetles, and flies. In Greek mythology's Ovid, Orpheus was the son of ? and the muse Calliope. His song in both voice and musical instrument could entrance all living beings, including animals and plants. The central figure of Orpheus was probably copied from an earlier print or engraving, and produced by a professional embroiderer or as a kit that an amateur female (girl or woman) could put together.

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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+0257

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