The New Testament, The Book of Common Prayer
ca. 1636
Medium
Silk, bullion, silver, and silver-gilt thread on canvas and satin
Dimensions
7 1/8 x 4 3/4 in. (18.1 x 12.1cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.1294
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite embroidered textile, titled *The New Testament, The of Common Prayer* (ca. 1636), is a rare British masterpiece created by Robert Barker and Richard Whittaker, prominent printers and publishers of religious texts during the early 17th century. a luxurious book cover or binding for sacred volumes central to Anglican worship, it reflects the era's deep reverence for scripture amid King Charles I's reign, when the Book of Common Prayer unified liturgical practices across England. Crafted from silk, bullion, silver, and silver-gilt on canvas and satin, the small panel (just 7⅛ × 4¾...