England / c. 1350
Orphrey Band: The Tree of Jesse
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Orphrey Band: The Tree of Jesse as embroidery (England · c. 1350).
From the 1100s to the 1300s in London, both men and women worked as professional embroiderers. Here, the Tree of Jesse, a favorite medieval theme illustrating the ancestry of Christ, appears as a grapevine with three ancestors—Achim, Ezechias, and Eliud—seated on tendrils.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this embroidery as Silk, gold and silver thread, linen; embroidery: split and couching stitches.
The museum's collection notes: From the 1100s to the 1300s in London, both men and women worked as professional embroiderers. Here, the Tree of Jesse, a favorite medieval theme illustrating the ancestry of Christ, appears as a grapevine with three ancestors—Achim, Ezechias, and Eliud—seated on tendrils. Painters often provided embroiderers with designs, revealing a close relationship between the professions.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtOrphrey Band: The Tree of JesseOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.