The Arizona sentinel., 1888-01-21
THE NEEDLE IN ART.
Embroidery the First Medium of Repro
 ducing Natural Objects.

antiquity, but it is known to have exisiel before painting and to have been the first medium of reproducing natural objects in their natural colors. The work came from the East and was first called Phrygium or Phrygian work. while an embroiderer was called Phrygio, and designs worked entirely in gold or silver thread, Aurfphrygium, and these words would seem to indicate that it was first brought to ex ,ellence by the Baby lonians, although Sir J 6. Wilkinson has discovered upon Egyptian monu- ments, painted in the eighteenth dynasty before the time of Babylon,
 designs in arabesque embroidery upon the garments and furniture of the Egyptians. We have undoubted evil dence that both the Assyrians and tho Egyptians were particularly lavish in the needlework decorations, of not only their temples, houses and gar ments, but even for the sails of their
 boats; and it was from them that the Jews learned the art, and considered it worthy of expr ss mention in Exo- dus as part of the adOrnment of the Tabernacle and of the sacred robes of the priests.
 From the Egyptians and the H. brews. and also from Eastern nations, the Romans and Greeks became ac- auainted with its higher branches. The vails given by Herod to the tem- pie came from Babylon. and Cicero describes the 1nagnifience of the en- broi dered robes of Babylonan work worn by Tarquin the Elder. Gradu- ally the R omans learned to embroider, and after the introduction of Chris tianity- into Europe and the founding of religious houses, the art became of great importance. and almost science. the designs being contributed by artists. and a lavish expenditure of time and money bestowed to bring the work to Q high state of perfection. At one time only the borders of garments were worked. and as the name of Phrygium gradually died out, the Latin words, BruStuS, Bruddtus sAurobruS. were substituted to denote needlewOrk, and from these the French Broiderie and the English Embroidery are derived.
 From inc first to the end of the six teenth century. Italy was looked upon as the center of embroidery work, the Popes of Rome selecting from all coun- tries the most beautiful specimens, and ordering that costly presents of needle work should be made by the faithful te- tho churches and religious houses. Up to the time of the wars of the roses, English embroidery was justly famous, but it then langdished, and when the taste for it revived. it was never again executed with the same amount of gorgeous simplicity. the patterns be- coming too overloaded with ornament for true taste.
 On the continent during this period yigor, and in Paris the embroiderers formed themselves into a guild, and were held in high esteem, grants of land being frequently given for their handiwork.
 The reformation may be said to have given the death-blow to church work, and through it to some of the finer sorts of embroidery. Churches were no longer allowed to be decorated with altar cloths, priests robes were almost | abolished, and the convents (the great | schools of art) were destroyed.
 During the reigns of James l. and l Charles 1 not only crewel work but 1 very fine embroidery was done upon silk and satin foundations. for secular purposes but this never attained the dignity and costliness of the church work. The chief patterns were heraldic devices. portraits and flower pieces.
 During the wars between Charles I. and his Parliament, Royalist ladies l were fond of embroidering miniatures of King and working into them the real hair of the monarch; mention is made in old chronicles of the grant ing of hair for that purpose. After the Kings execution these miniatures were in great demand, and were treasured in sacred relics, and many | of them can still be seen in good | state of preservation.
 In the earlier part of the present cen- tury fine embroidery was succeeded by a coarser kind, into which large human | figures were introduced. whose hands and faces were not worked but painted, while their dresses and surroundings | were either worked in crewels or silks.
 Embroidery then sank to its lowest ebb, church work had entirely disap- peared, the fine silk work became out of date, and the only work thatiat all fiourished wasgthe mechanical copying | of Berlin patterns, first in tent and | finally in cross stitch; but the revival of the taste for design, fOstered by the exhibition of 1851. produced a favOra- ble change in needlework. and from that date old work has been hunted up and copied, and artists have emulated each other in pointing out the differ ence between good and bad designing in fresh patterns,- and at present both church work and embroidery for home uses are carried to as great q perfec- ton as, if not actually surpassing the needlework of the Middle Ages. Dur ing all these changes in the history of European needlowork the art of em- broidery in the East may be said to have remained in inc original state.-