The dramatic story of Moses, silk work embroidery. After Pharaoh had ordered all the first-born male babies to be killed, one woman, Jocheved, looked desperately for a way to save her new-born son. She hid him in a basket made of reeds and left him on the river bed, knowing that the Pharaoh's daughter came to bathe there. Jocheved and her ladies in waiting did find Moses and thus he was saved. The vivid depiction of this Bible story from Exodus is beautifully sewn, likely by a very young girl. Silk on silk, the method taught girls the needle arts. This one is unsigned.
Very good for age and type. It would have been more likely to have had a back-painted (eglomise) black/gold mat/glazing, which would have opened only the oval of embroider to view. So often there is deterioration to the silk upon which the needlework was done, and that is the case with this old one. You can see it in the upper left quadrant in particular. But at some point it has been professionally preserved and you can see a very very fine mesh overlaying the sewing in that upper half or more. The foreground, mostly silk embroidery, is left open to the stitches. A very nice work, indeed, and protected under glass in the large period frame. Full measurements are noted on our photos. This would date to c.1820s-40s. Likely the work of a 12-13 year old girl.
