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Have you ever wondered how needlepoint stitching originated?

I have.

So I went to the ANG, to see what they had to say on the subject, and found this:

     Howard Carter, of Tutankhamen fame, found some Needlepoint in the Crave of a Pharaoh who had lived 1500 years before Christ.

Though King Tut actually lived more like 1300 years before Christ (approximately 1341 – 1323 BCE), and he was found in a tomb, not a “crave,” I had something to go on at last.

So naturally, I went to peruse Howard Carter’s actual field notes, and came upon this:

     Notes Robes Nos 367, i and j.
     Two official or state garments of the character of priestly robes, which recall the dalmatic vestment worn by deacons and bishops of the Christian Church and by kings and emperors at coronation. [...] They took the form of a long loose linen vestment, having down the sides richly ornamented tapestry woven borders and a broad hem at the bottom of similarly woven ornaments and with fringe. [...] One of the vestments with field plain, has narrow sleeves like the tunicle and needlework representing animals[...].

Then, as I was trying to integrate this crucial information into my ground-breaking Canvas of Waking Dreams feature, a collector (who wishes to remain anonymous) contacted me to reveal that she owns one of the needlepoints discovered with old Tut.

Unbelievable!

Click on the jump to see it.

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