Casgliadau Arlein

Tapestry of 'Juno transforms Callisto into a bear'. Woven at the Mortlake tapestry workshop, near London, 1680s. The tapestry was owned by the Windsor-Clive family, and was probably brought to St Fagans Castle by Robert Windsor-Clive in about 1850.

Almost square tapestry, with a narrow blue border on four sides, inner border of entwined ribbon and pole design with clasps in corners. Mortlake mark of red cross on white shield in bottom right corner. Figures of Juno and Callisto are in lower left hand corner, Juno grasping Callisto by the hair. Juno's cloud, with peacock, is immediately behind. Remainder of ground is filled with a woodland scene of large trees and leaves with smaller trees and open ground to the right, and the figure of Callisto transformed into a bear in lower right hand corner. Blue silk of sky has faded to cream and some areas have been rewoven. Greens have faded, red of Juno's cloak only partially faded. Deep and mid blues of leaves in fair condition. Some splits a top edge. Eighteen warp threads per inch, 60 wool weft threads per inch, and approximately 64 silk weft threads per inch (sky, highlights and border). Relined with cotton.