Silk satin embroidered with couched metal thread and coloured silk in a flat stitch, faced with cotton twill and backed with plain weave cotton.
The central panel [50 x 52.5 cm] has a red satin ground with signs of a bright green selvedge on both sides; the embroidery goes over these selvedges. The design is repeated in each quarter. In the centre is a large lobed circular form embroidered with silver-gilt thread couched with a pattern of small and larger lozenges. From around this forms come 8 curving leaves, facing in an anti-clockwise direction, alternately silver and silver-gilt, couched in a twill and chevron pattern. Framing this is a 16 pointed star form in silver-gilt. Alternate points terminate in a 3-petalled flower with two small leaves with a silver thread centre and details in coloured silk; other points move upwards and split to form half palmettes which in turn join to create an 8-lobed rosette frame.
This is framed by a thin embroidered leafy stem forming a 16 pointed star shape in silver-gilt. At the axis points this leads into a large exotic blossom with two flowering and leafy stems in silver and silver-gilt with chevron couching.
In between a composite form of leaves, buds, flowering stems and small roundels point into each corner. In between these, from the remaining star points, a small lily form in silver-gilt and silver emerges, worked mainly in a twill pattern. The corner motifs repeat part of the central pattern but then lead directly into a corner medallion of silver-gilt with chevron couching.
Around the major motifs and frames, there is a multi-thread 'coil' of silver couched down as an outline.
Metal thread: silver-gilt strip very closely S-twisted on Z-twisted cream silk and silver strip open S-wound on a Z-twisted white silk core.
Embroidery thread: light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, pink, white and yellow. Couching with white, pink, beige and light green silk.
A 2 cm wide woven braid separates the red field from the black border. A silver strip edges the braid. Much of the black silk ground has corroded and has been replaced with crude embroidery. The pattern is a thin silver-gilt meander with four variations of exotic blossoms including a carnation. The 'peacock eyes' in the corner motif is particularly pretty.
It is possible to see an cotton interlining.
Metal thread: silver-gilt strip very closely S-twisted on Z-twisted cream silk and silver strip open S-wound on a Z-twisted white silk core.
Embroidery thread: red, pink, white, dark green, light green, light brown silk. Cream and faded red silk is used for couching.
Facing: bias-cut cotton, fine stripes in light blue, red, white, green, yellow and brown.
Backing: pieced, undecorated plain weave blue cotton.