Stevengraph portrait

by Sprake:

by Godden:
The well know Scottish poet was born in 1759 and died in 1796.
This subject, the first non-political small sized portrait woven by Thomas Stevens, is listed on label 23+10+2 of c.1887. It is normally found mounted on card C2 [as the image above]. The title was included in an advertisement published in May 1887.

Two versions are at present known - although a third may exist without the spray of thistle woven across the front.

The version most often met with [number so140 on this web site] has the portrait facing half right, with a spray of thistles woven across the front of the jacket. No wording appears on the silk - only the title and credit printed on the mount.

A variation occurs [image above] when slight shading is woven up to eye-level.

A very rare smaller version [number so148 on this web site] shows the same basic portrait as above, but with a verse of 'Auld Lang Syne' woven above the portrait.

Other comments:

Reference Number:-	Sprake Number:-	Godden Number:-
so 144	not listed	94a

Words:	Woven on silk:- Printed at bottom of card-mount:- woven in pure silk by T. Stevens, Coventry ROBERT BURNS.
Size:	Card-mount: 17.8 cm deep by 12.7 cm wide silk: cm deep by cm wide
Comments:	by Sprake: by Godden: The well know Scottish poet was born in 1759 and died in 1796. This subject, the first non-political small sized portrait woven by Thomas Stevens, is listed on label 23+10+2 of c.1887. It is normally found mounted on card C2 [as the image above]. The title was included in an advertisement published in May 1887. Two versions are at present known - although a third may exist without the spray of thistle woven across the front. The version most often met with [number so140 on this web site] has the portrait facing half right, with a spray of thistles woven across the front of the jacket. No wording appears on the silk - only the title and credit printed on the mount. A variation occurs [image above] when slight shading is woven up to eye-level. A very rare smaller version [number so148 on this web site] shows the same basic portrait as above, but with a verse of 'Auld Lang Syne' woven above the portrait. Other comments:

ROBERT BURNS