Antique Needlepoint English Rug 1733

English Needlepoint, late nineteenth centuryAn elegant young maiden in a neo-medieval style stands amidst lush stylized vinescrolls replete with birds and flowers on this stunning antique English needlepoint. Reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts designs of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelite painters, the composition harks back to the art of the Middle Ages while looking ahead to Art Nouveau. The Latin inscription of the upper and lower borders in Gothic calligraphy states, 'Malum concillium est quod mutari non potest,' 'It is bad advice that cannot change.'