Mirror with Jael and Barak
Unknown Artist
1672
Medium
Satin worked with silk and metal-wrapped thread, beads, purl, mica, seed pearls; detached buttonhole variations, long-and-short, satin, couching, and straight stitches; wood frame, celluloid imitation tortoiseshell, mirror glass, silk plush
Dimensions
28 3/4 x 23 3/4 in. (73 x 60.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Thomas J. Watson Gift, 1939
Accession Number
39.13.2a
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Mirror with Jael and Barak*1672), crafted by an unknown British artist, captures a dramatic biblical scene from the Book Judges, where the heroic Jael slays the Canaanite general Sisera, aided by the Israelite leader Barak. Surrounding the central narrative are fantastical and lively motifs—griffins,ermaids, fish,, deer, men, and women—blending religious storytelling with whimsical Baroque exuberance. Created during England's Restoration era, such embroidered mirrors adorned affluent homes, reflecting the period's fascination with opulent domestic decoration and moral tales fro...