Name/Title
Wallhanging, Plowshares: Christmas, Friendly Beasts 709Description
A Country Prints production sample retained as a print record.
A Plowshares wallhanging with a three-screen/four-color silkscreen print on natural linen depicting verses from the Christmas song, “The Friendly Beasts”, telling the Christmas story from the point of view of the animals living in the barn where Jesus was born.
Read from top to bottom, the verses appear out of order from the recorded song, but makes sense as a visual story telling aid, starting with the doves in the rafters and descending to Jesus lying in the manger below.
Burl Ives, one of Wert’s favorite folk singers, recorded this song in 1952 for inclusion on his album, “Christmas Day in the Morning”; see web link to hear the song.
Wert developed at least three different versions of this design, one of which was his Country Printers annual Christmas greeting in 1955; see separate entries. The example at left appears in the brochures “Fall and Christmas, Robert Darr Wert/Country Prints”, 1964, “Fall and Christmas 1965, Robert Darr Wert/Country Prints”, and “Country Prints by Robert Darr Wert and Neighbors”, c.1966; see images.
Stylistically, this example was most likely designed in the 1950’s and reintroduced to the Country Prints line in the mid-1960’s.
Plowshares is Country Prints’ line of narrow wallhangings, typically 8” x 24”, the majority of which are Christian in theme.
Top edge is hemmed to accept a dowel for hanging, remaining edges are serged and bound with an overlock stitch.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Robert Darr WertRole
ArtistManufacturer
Country PrintsDate made
1964Time Period
20th CenturyPlace
Location
Gill MA.Continent
North AmericaInscription/Signature/Marks
“wert PLOWSHARES”, lower left corner, and “by hand - Linen”, lower right corner.Dimensions
Dimension Description
ApproximateHeight
24 inWidth
8 inMaterial
Bleached Linen, Textile InkColors
Color
Brick Red, Green, Black, BrownColor Notes
Brown is produced by overprinting red and green.
