This early Victorian needlework depicts the biblical story of Moses discovered among the reeds of the Nile.
Worked in silk and chenille, the scene shows the infant Moses being lifted from his basket while Miriam watches nearby.
The figures wear early 19th century dress, which gives the biblical subject the gentle, domestic character so often found in English devotional needlework of this period.
The coloring is soft and appealing, and the combination of silkwork, chenille, and black eglomisé creates a particularly rich surface. Framed under glass in its original eglomisé surround and giltwood frame, it is a beautiful and unusual example of Victorian biblical needlework.
This subject, often called Moses in the Bulrushes or The Infant Moses, was a popular one in early 19th century English embroidery. It combined religious narrative with sentiment, decorative color, and the opportunity to show skill in figures, costume, and landscape. Here, the tenderness of the scene and the survival of the original eglomisé frame add greatly to its appeal.
Dimensions: 21.25″ high x 18″ wide x 1.5″ deep
Condition: Very good; the silkwork is in very good to excellent condition. The original black eglomisé is intact. The giltwood frame has minor touching to the gilding.
Price: $620
Decoration: Biblical scene of Moses drawn from the Nile, worked in silkwork and chenille, with black eglomisé surround
Material: Silkwork, chenille, glass, eglomisé, giltwood frame
Style: Victorian
Origin: England
Date: Circa 1840
       

Notable Details:
Biblical subject of Moses in the Bulrushes
Worked in silk and chenille
Early Victorian figures in period dress
Original black eglomisé surround
Giltwood frame with old glass
Tender religious and domestic subject
Strong decorative presence at a modest scale