{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O16671"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16671/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7164/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7164/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC7164","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM0241","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EU4174","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LX1522","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O16671/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O16671","accessionNumber":"443-1865","objectType":"Cushion cover","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>This embroidery was worked as the front of a cushion cover, but was never made up for use, which is one of the reasons that its colours are still so bright. In the middle of the 17th century the majority of wooden chairs and stools were not upholstered, and in more prosperous homes, decorated cushions were widely used both for comfort and for the attractiveness of their appearance.<br><br><b>Materials & Making</b><br>This cushion cover would have been worked by an amateur though accomplished embroiderer, on a canvas ground on which the  design had been drawn by a professional pattern drawer, adapting published prints. Because the design would have been drawn on the canvas in black outline only, the embroiderer could use her individual taste in the choice of colour, and to a more limited extent, stitch and type of thread.<br><br><b>Subjects Depicted</b><br>The embroidery shows two scenes from the story of Abraham in the Old Testament : Abraham entertaining the Angels announcing the birth of Isaac, and the Angel restraining Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. The story of Abraham was an extremely popular subject in English 17th-century domestic embroidery, many versions surviving with minor variations. Most of these, and other Old Testament scenes used in embroidery, were taken originally from a book of biblical stories published by Gerard de Jode in Antwerp in 1585. The illustrations from this seem to have had wide circulation in England.","physicalDescription":"An embroidered long cushion cover with a landscape setting and people, angels, animals, plants and buildings.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wool (textile)","id":"AAT243430"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"linen (material)","id":"AAT14069"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Linen canvas, embroidered in wool and silk","categories":[{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Tapestry","id":"THES48887"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2006AC7164","2006AM0241","2011EU4174","2019LX1522"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"56D","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA17","shelf":"","box":"3"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cushion cover","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1640-1670","earliest":"1640-01-01","latest":"1670-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by H. F. C. Lewin","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"55.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"107.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Measured; 13/09/2000 by KB\n\ndisplay dimensions to be confirmed when remounted.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"The print source for the design is Gerard de Jode's <i>Thesaurus Sacrarum</i>, Antwerp, 1585","briefDescription":"Cushion cover, wool and silk embroideryon linen, 1630-1669, English","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Architecture","id":"AAT54156"},{"text":"Angels","id":"x30526"},{"text":"snail","id":"x31284"},{"text":"snake (animal)","id":"x30204"},{"text":"Birds","id":"AAT211235"},{"text":"lion","id":"x30150"},{"text":"leopard","id":"x30393"},{"text":"horse","id":"x30117"},{"text":"deer","id":"x29392"},{"text":"squirrel","id":"x30167"},{"text":"monkey (animal)","id":"x30136"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThis design was transferred onto canvas by a specialist craftsman known as a pattern drawer. He modified biblical scenes published in Antwerp in 1585 for the outlines of the two main groups of figures (see photograph). He then probably used English prints as the source for the animals, birds, insects and flowers in the background.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["443-1865"],"accessionNumberNum":"443","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1865,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR1029","2019LV5911"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-24","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}