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Fragment of a Border with Standing and Seated Birds Amidst Vegetation
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Three distinct bird species appear in this fragment distinguished through their body, neck, and feather shapes. In the period this lace was created, there was growing interest in the scientific study of birds, called ornithology. Ornithological books and prints depicted accurate records of birds, which deviated from previous fanciful portrayals.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFragment of a Border with Standing and Seated Birds Amidst Vegetation, 1500s. Italy. Bleached linen (est.): needle lace, burato (twined ground and darned in one direction); overall: 40.1 x 46.4 cm (15 13/16 x 18 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1920.1141