There are a few wonderful 17th century pieces on auction next week at
Sotheby's. Fortunately I will be in NYC before they go on the block and plan to go see these pieces up close. The first of interest is a beaded mirror shaped like the one in my store. This mirror, edged in tortoise shell shows a series of allegories in the four corners, we see Faith, Hope, Plenty and Peace. One of the amazing things is that this mirror is an exact copy of a piece that is currently in private collection, which I was privileged to see only a few weeks ago. This further gives evidence on how pieces were being made/taught in groups. I am looking forward to seeing it in person next week and comparing the photos I have of the other piece.
The other piece on sale that is really interesting is a very small piece of needlelace. The textures that are achieved by changing the stitches give the definition between the shapes so that the picture can be read. The size says it is about 3" x 5" which seems very small compared to the similar works in the V&A and Feller collection. Can't wait to see.
Tricia
It took a few minutes to find, but that's John the Baptist's HEAD on the platter! So cool!
ReplyDeleteOhh I could just see a wedding casket made entirely of white needlelace overlays~ that would be stunning!
ReplyDeleteThis beaded mirror is almost exactly the same as the one at the Adelaide Art Gallery as well. The Adelaide mirror has a lion instead of a fox, but the other differences are minor.
ReplyDeleteThe needlelace picture - gasp!
ReplyDelete