

Dozens of helmeted soldiers armed with crossbows, swords, and projectiles are ensconced in a fantastical turreted structure fastened atop his back (read excerpt below). The elephant at the center of this oversize print bears the weight of an entire army. Objects covered in mother-of-pearl were given to foreign rulers as diplomatic gifts and were exported to the east coast of Africa, Turkey, and Europe. The allure of this material lay in its versatility, its strength, and above all in its lustrous and beautiful iridescent surface, which reflected light and varied color.

Gujarat, in western India, was the center for artisanal mother-of-pearl production during the 16th and 17th centuries. The concave sides are decorated with vertical plaques following the shape of the dish with a narrow undulating rim. These radiating shapes are framed by a narrow circular border around the edge of the bowl.

The main body of the dish is decorated with a central multi-petaled flower head with radiating small-shaped plaques of increasing size. There may also be inserts of one or two other marine shells, namely the button shell ( Trochus niloticus) or the pearl oyster ( Pinctada margaritifera), or both. This shallow dish has a thin teakwood body covered on both sides with shaped plaques of mother-of-pearl, which come from the green turban shell ( Turbo marmoratus). The biblical Queen Esther was seen as embodying these virtues as defined by 17th-century political and religious beliefs. Needlework was a popular vehicle for portraying traits associated with the ideal woman who was brave, pious, and obedient.
Concrete genie salmon billboard professional#
The images depicted were often based on illustrated texts and engravings and were embroidered by girls and women, as well as professional male and female embroiderers. This example features a unique form of three-dimensional embroidery called stumpwork. At this time a distinctive style of figurative embroidery emerged in England for creating small pictures and domestic objects, such as mirror covers, book covers, and small storage boxes. In this scene the central characters are dressed in court attire of 17th-century England. She succeeds as the King agrees to Esther’s request and reverses his minister’s order. Although the king issued a ruling that no one could approach him without being summoned, Esther has risked her life by entering the King’s presence uninvited in order to protect her people from death. The king’s chief minister has plotted to kill all the Jews in the kingdom and Esther is a Jew herself. King Ahasuerus of Persia, Esther’s husband, gestures toward her with his scepter and grants her permission to speak. This detailed textile depicts the biblical story of brave Queen Esther, seen kneeling at center right, accompanied by two attendants.
