Owl & Swan at the Museum

My inspiration for this piece was the British Museum and it’s amazing collection of artifacts. I’ve based my picture on two of the artifacts. Owl is based on an Athenian coin (450-400BCE). The owl is the sacred bird of Athena who is the symbol of knowledge and wisdom. AOE (alpha theta epsilon) means ‘Of the Athenians’ in ancient Greek and was written on the coin. Swan is based on the Dunstable Swan Jewel which was made around 1400. It is believed to be a livery badge for Henry V. The Museum is a representation of the British Museum. All the materials used, with the exception of the embroidery thread, are fabric scraps. It was all handstitched. Materials used: fabric scraps from dressmaking, upholstery fabric scraps, cotton thread for stitching, embroidery thread on swan and chain, and interfacing.