Embroidered Bible cover, England. c. 1650.
Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc. no. T.6-1988.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, houses a beautifully decorated Bible cover that was made in England and dates to around 1650. The cover is made of satin that is embroidered and plaited with silk and silver threads, and further decorated with seed pearls, metal and leather.
The decoration is worked with flame stitch, long and short stitch, outline stitch, satin stitch, split stitch, French knots and couched work.
The cover shows scenes from the Biblical story of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar was forced into the desert after insulting Abraham's wife, Sarah. There she gave birth to Ishmael.
V&A online catalogue (retrieved 6 October 2016).
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