Details

Object type

valance

Place Associated

Scotland (place of manufacture); Scotland, Perthshire, Balloch Castle (place of association)

Date

circa 1550

Materials

silk, linen

Dimensions

overall: 330 mm x 1200 mm

Description

Valance, part of a set (with 29.182 and 29.183), in linen canvas embroidered with black, light blue, blue, dark blue, light brown, brown, dark brown, cream, green, red and yellow wool and silk threads worked in a variation of long-armed cross or plaited Gobelin stitch. On the left Adam and Eve are tempted by a serpent with a female head that is twisted around the Tree of Knowledge. Centre the initials ‘CC’ and ‘KR’ with a lovers’ knot between above the Arms of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy with quarterly, first and fourth: gyronny of eight Argent and Sable for Campbell; second: Or, a galley sails furled Sable for Lorne; third: Or a fess chequy Azure and Argent for Glenorchy, impaled with his second wife, Katherine Ruthven, with Argent, three pallets Gules. On the right an Angel brandishing a sword casting Adam and Eve from the Garden of Paradise. Set against a background of dark blue, blue and light blue shaded stripes. Plain yellow border.

This is one of a set of three valances that are possibly one of the earliest surviving sets of Scottish valances. This one depicts scenes from the book of Genesis. The design of these figures would have been copied from contemporary woodcuts. The closest examples found to date are illustrations from Giacomo Filippo Foresti da Bergamo, Supplementum chronicarum, which was first published in 1483 and reprinted in various later editions. They were made for Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy (1499–1583), who married his second wife, Katherine Ruthven (died circa 1583–4), daughter of Lord Ruthven, in 1550. It is probable that they were originally used at Balloch Castle, now Taymouth Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. In 1640 the valances were still recorded on a bed, but were stored away in a chest by 1679. Embroidered bed hangings owned by their grandson, Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy (circa 1577–1640) are now in the National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (54.711).

The three Campbell and Ruthven valances are worked in an unusual stitch that is described in Margaret Swain, Scottish Embroidery, 1986 as '[a]lthough worked on canvas, it is not the usual tent stitch, but superficially appears to be a chain stitch. Examination of the back shows, however, that instead of the vertical line of stitches at the back of chain, there are instead pairs of horizontal stitches. These appear to have been worked in two journeys, the needle held horizontally, producing a V-shaped stitch on the right side.' The stitch is also found on a table carpet that was made to celebrate the marriage of Katherine Oliphant (1534–1612) to her second husband, George Dundas, of Arniston House, Midlothian. Both the valances and this table carpet may have been made at the same workshop or by the same itinerant professional embroiderer.

Sir William Burrell had this valance framed and hung in the Tower Sitting Room at Hutton Castle, Berwickshire.

Provenance: Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy (1499–1583); by descent to John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1696–1782); from whom inherited by John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane (1762–1834) in 1782; by descent to his son John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane (1796–1862) in 1834; from whom inherited by John Campbell, 6th Earl of Campbell (d1871) in 1862; by descent to his son, Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane and Holland (1851–1922) in 1871; from whom inherited by his nephew, Iain Campbell, 8th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1885–1923) in 1922; from whom inherited by his third cousin-once-removed Charles Campbell, 9th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1889–1959) in 1923; Acton Surgey Ltd., London; from whom purchased by Sir William Burrell in 21 November 1933 for £400 (with 29.182 and 29.183).

Credit Line/Donor

Gifted by Sir William and Lady Burrell to the City of Glasgow, 1944

Collection

Burrell Collection: British Embroideries

ID Number

29.181

Location

In storage