On the upper side is King Solomon seated in an elaborate throne on a
dais, all outlined with gold cord. He wears a golden crown and a dress
which more nearly approaches the style worn at the date of the
production of the book than that which was probably worn by Solomon
himself. Before the King kneels a figure, no doubt intended for the
Queen of Sheba, in a red and orange robe of a curious fashion. She holds
out two white and red roses to the King, who bends to take them. The
ground is patterned in green and blue diamonds. The distant landscape
shows a castle with turrets, trees, a tower, a house, and a sun with
rays. The groundwork on both sides and the back is worked in silver
thread.
The lower side has in the centre Jacob wrestling with the angel. Jacob
has a beard and a blue cloak; his staff lies on the ground. The angel
wears a red flowing robe, and his wings are many-coloured, and enriched
with various threads and spirals of gold. The landscape is elaborate. In
the foreground is a river with a bridge of planks, a gabled cottage,
hospitably smoking from its chimneys, a red lily, and a tree. In the
middle distance is a castle with tower and flag, and on the horizon are
a windmill, a castle with two towers, and some trees, above all a red
cloud. The back is divided into six panels, on each of which is a
different design in coloured silks. These designs are small, and
although they are in perfectly good condition, the subjects represented
are doubtful. The upper and lower panels seem to represent only castles
with towers. Then apparently come Jonah and the whale, the creation, the
temple, and the deluge with the ark, but it is quite possible that other
interpretations might be made. There are remains of two red silk ties on
the front edges of each board, and the edges of the leaves are gilded
simply.
[Illustration: 9--Sermons by Samuel Ward. London, 1626-7.]
_Sermons by Samuel Ward._ London, 1626-7.
Mr. Yates Thompson has kindly allowed me to describe and illustrate an
embroidered book belonging to him, bound in canvas, and measuring 5-3/4
by 4-1/4 inches. It is a collection of sermons preached by 'Samuel
Ward, Bachelour of Divinity,' and printed in London, 1626-7, the binding
being probably of about the latter date. On the upper cover is a lady in
a blue dress, seated, and holding a hawk on her left wrist, and a branch
with apples in her right. Round her are scattered flower sprays,
honeysuckle, foxglove, a stalk with two large pears, a cluster of
grapes, a twig with a butterfly upon it, and a wild-rose spray. The
lady, the petals of the flowers, and the leaves are all worked in
tapestry-stitch; the bird and the lady's hair in long straight stitches;
the stalks, fruits, and grasses are worked in variously coloured silk
threads, thickly and strongly bound round with very fine silver wire.
The lady has a coif, cuff, and belt of short pieces of silver and gold
guimp arranged like a plait.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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