Phyllis
Panel
1860-1863 (made)
1860-1863 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Embroidered panel of a classical female figure, probably of Phyllis. Partially painted and embroidered with wools in brick, stem and long and short stitches on a linen ground. The figure is draped in a white robe with hanging sleeves showing a lining of yellow and white daisies. She is holding her robes with her right hand and extends a dagger by the blade with her left. The hair is worked in brown wools, the face and other flesh details in shades of brown, pink and red. The dagger handle is worked in rust-coloured wool with couched gold thread on the handle. The embroidery extends only halfway down the skirts of the robe and is worked in split, long and short and stem stitches. Holes along the edges of the panel show where it was attached to a frame.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Phyllis (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Linen ground, partially painted, and embroidered with wools and with couched gold thread |
| Brief description | Embroidered panel of a classical female figure, probably of Phyllis, designed by either William Morris or Edward Burne-Jones, probably embroidered by Georgiana Burne-Jones, England, 1860-1863. |
| Physical description | Embroidered panel of a classical female figure, probably of Phyllis. Partially painted and embroidered with wools in brick, stem and long and short stitches on a linen ground. The figure is draped in a white robe with hanging sleeves showing a lining of yellow and white daisies. She is holding her robes with her right hand and extends a dagger by the blade with her left. The hair is worked in brown wools, the face and other flesh details in shades of brown, pink and red. The dagger handle is worked in rust-coloured wool with couched gold thread on the handle. The embroidery extends only halfway down the skirts of the robe and is worked in split, long and short and stem stitches. Holes along the edges of the panel show where it was attached to a frame. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Registered File number 1985/326. The source for this embroidery is not known but it is likely to have been worked from designs prepared by Edward Burne-Jones for a frieze of embroideries for John Ruskin's home in 1864. The design was based on Chaucer's 'Legend of Good Women' echoing an earlier scheme designed (but never completed) by William Morris for the Red House, Bexley Heath. These embroideries were to have been worked by Miss Bell, a teacher at Winnington School and friend of Ruskin's, and her pupils, and notes in Georgiana Burne-Jones book Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones(1904) described the project. (see Vol I, p. 266). She goes on to say that 'the joint embroidery scheme proved impracticable, and the drawings alone remained as a symbol of loving intentions'. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.122-1985 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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