Casgliadau Arlein

Embroidered panel 'Souvenir of Alexandria 1916'. Made in 1916 by Reginald Clancy, of Pentrych, in Alexandria during First World War.

Chain-stitch embroidery in multi-coloured floss silk threads on a cream silk satin ground. Inscription and date carried out in blue. In the centre is a rectangular card (landscape format), printed with oval images of King George V and Queen Mary, set within a crown, with the words: 'GOD BLESS OUR KING AND QUEEN!' against a dark purple background, framed by ermine 'curtains' held back by gold cord. The card is held in position with chain-stitch embroidery using metal thread (tarnished to black but formerly silver). The card is not straight, but at angle where the proper left side is lower than the right (the proper right corner is 22cm above the lower edge of the picture and the proper left corner is 21cm above the lower edge). The card is surrounded by embroidered floral sprigs with red and blue five petal blossoms and a large blue bow tying the sprigs together at the bottom, underneath the card. The thread used for the floral sprigs and blossoms is dyed in such a way that the green, blue and red change in hue / intensity. There are blue pencil marks that sketch out the design. The marks are visible and are not covered by stitches in places.

The selvage of the cream satin ground fabric is showing on the lower proper right side edge. The edges are raw and the satin has been adhered to a thin card back board. There are markings on the reverse of the board that indicate that the piece was once framed: there are corrosion marks at intervals along the edges of the board that probably originate from nails that would have held the board in place.