Casgliadau Arlein

Embroidered representation of a pierced sacred heart fringed in gold braid, Roman Catholic in origin.

Embroidered and appliquéed textile panel; framed and glazed. The panel consists of a rectangular shape (card?) with semi-circular sections cut out of the sides, leaving the corners intact. This front of the panel is covered with glazed (?) cream cellulosic twill-woven fabric (4/1), the edges of the covered panel are trimmed with metal thread braid (stitched on with overcast stitch using white cellulosic thread [finely plied, S-twist]), and the back of the panel is covered with red cotton twill fabric (2/2, singles yarns: vertical yarns = Z-twist, horizontal yarns = S-twist)

Red satin heart shape (padded) is appliquéed onto the centre. Crown of thorns embroidered onto heart in chain stitch using yellow thread. Red droplets embroidered in detached chain stitches using red thread (6 droplets in total, one of which stitched onto the heart itself, the rest on the ground). Above the heart is a stitched cross worked in gold-coloured thread (2 threads used as one for main cross, and single thread for small diagonal cross). Elsewhere there are long copper-coloured stitches marking out a 7-pointed star-shape radiating out from the heart; a total of 14 metal spangles are embroidered onto the star shape (on each of the 7 points and troughs). The spangles are held in place by a small bead of clear glass which is stitched onto the centre of each spangle (using white thread, S-twist).
Below the heart (on the lower centre) is a 4cm long / 0.8cm wide white ribbon with a woven inscription in red: ' Cease! The Heart of Jesus is with me'. This ribbon is stitched on using copper-coloured embroidery thread.
Red stars are embroidered on each of the 4 corners of the panel (4 large stitches for each star).
All embroidery thread used is loosely twisted 2-ply, S-twist.

The panel itself is adhered onto a backing of light brown card (thickness = c. 0.1-0.2cm) using thick shiny brown adhesive. This card is nailed against the back of the wooden frame with 16 nails. The back of the card is covered in a layer of brown paper which is adhered to the outside (over the nails). On the upper and left side edge (as seen from the reverse) the paper appears to have been trimmed with a knife to c. 0.3cm in from the edge, while on the other two edges the paper extends beyond the edge of the card and is adhered to also cover the sides. On the edges where the paper is trimmed, the card is painted black. On either side of the reverse of the frame (c. 1/3 down from the top) there are two screwed metal loops for the attachment of a chain or cord in order to suspend the framed textile from the wall.

The frame consists of wood and a glazed front. The wood is crudely painted with a paint binding gold-coloured pigment; this paint does not achieve an even distribution of gold pigment and the reddy colour of the wood can be seen through gaps in the pigment. The inner edge (width: 0.6cm), sides and back of the frame are painted black. (The gold paint overlaps the black, i.e. was applied afterwards).

After the panel was released from the frame and backing card during the course of conservation, remains of red silk stitches became visible along the upper centre of the reverse. These stitches indicate that the panel may have once been displayed by suspending it from a ribbon.