See T.143-1962 for details of design source. British Galleries: EMBROIDERED MIRROR FRAME AND UNFINISHED FRAME
From about 1660 to 1680 a popular activity for amateur needlewomen was the embroidery of frames for mirrors. The maker may have drawn out the motifs herself, or bought a ready-drawn panel. The unfinished panel shows that the maker had worked some areas in great detail before starting on new motifs. Both panels use common imagery such as the King and Queen and characters from the Bible. [27/03/2003] Unfinished embroidery Object Type
Mirror glass had a considerable intrinsic value in the 17th century, and the presence of a relatively small piece could be increased with a broad decorated frame. The decoration of mirror frames with a wide inner border of embroidery seems to have been a popular accomplishment of amateur needlewomen particularly between about 1660 and 1680. This panel was being prepared for such a frame.

Design & Designing
The subjects and styles of embroidery chosen for mirror frames were close to those used for caskets, pictures, and other domestic items worked at home. Motifs were copied from pattern books and prints, or the satin panels could be bought already drawn out as 'kits', as this has been. The figures here are based on engravings from Gerard de Jode's 'Thesaurus Sacrarum Historiarum Veteris Testamenti', first published in Antwerp in 1585.

Subjects Depicted
This unfinished mirror frame shows scenes from the Old Testament story of Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar was the servant of Abraham's wife Sarah, who was unable to have children. When Hagar conceived a child by Abraham she showed contempt towards Sarah, who retaliated with such harsh treatment that Hagar fled into the wilderness. There she was comforted by an angel, and gave birth to her son Ishmael.