The exquisitely detailed silk and gold thread needlework sets the Queen in a garden with symbols of Eros, red roses (sacred to Venus) and eglantines (symbols of purity).
It may have been applied to the front of a burse – a presentation purse of sweetmeats or money – which courtiers were obliged to give to the Queen as New Year presents. The profusion of symbols of courtly love suggests a gift from an important favourite to Elizabeth, or vice versa, made by one of the professional court embroiderers (who were invariably men).
Such a portrait of the Queen in needlework is unique, and the price paid rivalled that of painted miniatures.
Sewing seeds to court the Queen’s favour
One of the more dramatic results seen at Sotheby’s (20/12% buyer's premium) English Country House sale on April 7 in New York was the $130,000 (£70,650) paid by a private collector for this English needlework portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, c.1580, 4 3/4 x 4 1/2in (12 x 11.4cm), which had been estimated at a modest $8000-12,000.
