An Important and Rare Silk Crib Cover with Thirty-five Appliqued Slips, Initialed H.E. (Honor Eliot), English, Early 17th Century

the white silk satin ground in two panels sewn together; ground appliqued with thirty-five individual canvaswork slips including fruit trees laden with fruit; floral bouquets of tulips, roses, lilies; animals including spotted leopard, snail, boar, elephant, small birds, monkey, rabbit and dog; the whole within a lace surround; some minor imperfections appropriate to its age, mounted on an acid free material.

some small losses and breaks in silk.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A 'slip' is an embroidered motif, usually a plant or flower with the heel or base showing. Insects and animals we also popular motifs. Embroidered 'slips' acquired their name from gardeners' slips or cuttings, used to propogate plants. They were popular from the mid-16th century to the mid-17th century.  Worked in wool and silk on linen canvas in tent or cross stitch, slips were cut out and applied to a wool or velvet background for use as bed curtains, hangings, cushions, etc. Slips were nearly always the work of amateur needlewoman, hence their naive quality. The style of embroidering individual type of flowers, insects etc. probably originates from illustrations in one of the many natural history, botanical or herbal books that were available at the time where motifs are presented independent of each other. John Gerard, in the introduction to his Herball of 1597, likened a garden to embroidery rather than the other way round: 'For if delight may provoke men's labour, what greater delight is there than to behold the earth apparelled with plants, as with a robe of embroidered worke...'

The present work, initialed H.E., is attributed to Honor Eliot, a relative of Sir John Eliot (1592-1632), Vice Admiral of the Devon Coast.   "In 1632, Sir John Eliot, by a clever but dangerous maneuver, captured the famous pirate John Nutt who had for years infested the southern coast inflicting immense damage upon English commerce. The pirate, having a powerful protector at court in Sir George Calvert, the Secretary of State, was pardoned, while the Vice-Admiral was flung into the Marshalsea and detained there nearly four months.  In 1632, King Charles I granted a charter to George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, conveying to him almost unlimited territorial and governmental rights in a tract of land between the Patomac River and the 40th parallel and styling him absolute lord and proprietor." (Excerpted from the Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 8, pp. 359-360)