Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Name/Title
Solomon and the Queen of ShebaEntry/Object ID
2020.1.3Tags
17th century, Embroidery, StumpworkDescription
King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba with their attendants, with a grotto and fountain below and a lion and unicorn in the lower corners and a castle above with mica windows; various plant and animal motifs throughout.Use
Typically these Stumpwork embroidery scenes would be panels on caskets. This one is very large, and it is unclear if that is how it was originally used.Context
A biblical scene of a King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Here the Queen of Sheba, as the story goes, is visiting King Solomon and presenting him with gifts. In our scene this appears to be a flower. She is accompanied by two attendants, and he is accompanied by two men as well. A large castle is stitched in the upper center, flanked by two trees and landscaping around the castle. A grotto and a fountain with a fish is at the center bottom, flanked by a lion and a unicorn, and in the top corners are a stag and leopard. Gardens were glorified in the 17th century in England, and this piece definitely illustrates the love of gardens with many added flowers, small animals and insects.Collection
ERS Sampler CollectionCategory
Stumpwork