Important Rare Set of Nine Appliqué Silk Panels by Marianna Elmo

Important and rare set of nine exquisite New Testament silk thread appliqué panels known as Broderies à fils collés. Each panel depicts a distinct biblical scene, rendered with remarkable precision and delicacy. Signed Marianna Elmo.
Italy, Lecce, circa 1750

Frame H: 95 cms (37.5 ins)
Frame W: 75 cms (30 ins)

The images are created using the technique known as broderie à fils collés, where thin polychrome silk threads and metal threads are meticulously applied side by side onto a virgin beeswax-coated cardboard base. The faces and limbs of the figures are crafted from cut satin shapes, further painted with tempera or watercolor to achieve lifelike detail. The panels contain many figures embroidered and painted with remarkable skill.

Dimensions
– 8 panels: 26 x 20 cm each
– Centre panel: 24 x 18 cm

Provenance
Acquired from Sotheby’s, London, in the 1960s by the owner’s father; reframed in Paris by Christian de Beaumont.

Comparable Works
– The Flight into Egypt (1752, Museum of San Martino, Naples)
– Casket reliquary of St. Mary of Banzi (1754, Banzi, Province of Potenza)
– A pair of Italian appliqué metal-thread and silk thread and painted silk portraits, depicting Charles VII, King of Naples and Sicily, and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony, signed Marianna Elmo, Lecce mid-18th century (Sotheby’s London, Lot 32, 6 July 2010, Sold for £15,000).

Exhibitions and Renewed Interest
Marianna Elmo’s work gained renewed attention through the 2003-2004 exhibition Marianna Elmo and The Art of Embroidery in Southern Italy in the First Half of the Eighteenth Century at the Pinacoteca Provinciale di Bari. This exhibition, curated by Clara Gelao, highlighted the significance of her contributions to the art of embroidery. Further recent recognition came with the 2007-2008 exhibition L’Arte delle Donne, dal Rinascimento al Surrealismo (The Art of Women, from the Renaissance to Surrealism) at the Palazzo Reale Royal Palace in Milan.

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