Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Flowering Vines Embroidered Oblong Scarf, 72" x 22"
The intricate embroidery on this eye-catching scarf pays tribute to a spectacular British coif—a type of snugly fitting cap—in The Met's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection.
Patterns of birds, insects, and flowers enveloped by scrolling vines, or "rinceaux," were immensely popular during the late 16th and early 17th centuries; by the 1580s, portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers were depicting the sitters wearing richly embroidered sleeves decorated with an early monochrome version of this pattern, which may derive from similar motifs found in Islamic Spain.
Crafted in the early 17th century, the Museum's colorful linen adornment is embellished with metal thread and sparkling sequins.
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