Valance c. 18th century

This 'Valance' was crafted with embroidery. The eye is immediately drawn to the prominent display of floral and fruit motifs. These symbols resonate deeply within the collective unconscious; fruits, particularly, have been associated with fertility, abundance, and the sensual pleasures of life across cultures. Consider, for instance, how the pomegranate, bursting with seeds, appears in Renaissance paintings as a symbol of prosperity, or in ancient Greek myths associated with Persephone and the cycles of life and death. Here, these motifs are meticulously stitched, capturing their symbolic weight and continuing a long tradition of employing nature's bounty to convey profound emotions. It is an example of how our ancestors used symbols to imbue their everyday lives with deeper meaning. The image of this Valance evokes the perpetual return of symbols, their evolution through different cultural landscapes, and their persistent influence on our shared human experience.