Collection:  General Judaica

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• Needlework by Ilana Limoni

• Illustrations painted by Lindy Tilp

• Illustration based on postcards of a model of Old Jerusalem

• Completed in the 1980s

• It took about one year to make

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Materials and technique:

• Petit Point Canvas made from cotton with a 22 mesh mono weave (i.e., 484 stitches per square inch)

• Threads are cotton and metallic fibers

• Technique is basket weave stitches

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Size:

• H: 20¼” (51.4 cm)    W: 74” (188 cm)

• With frame: H: 26” (66 cm)    W: 79¾” (202.6 cm)

 

The illustration was based on postcards that showed various details from a reproduction of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple, prior to its destruction by the Romans.  The original model was created by Professor Avi-Yonah and was located at the Holy Land Hotel for several decades, but is now at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel.

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Process in general:

Ilana collaborated with her artist Lindy as to how she wanted the illustration to be compiled from the different postcards of the model. Once the canvas was painted, Ilana needlepointed the canvas uniformly with the basket weave stitch.

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Other comments: 

This is the only time Ilana used a canvas with a 22 x 22 grid.  

The canvas was purchased on a trip to Vienna, Austria, which Ilana held onto for many years, until a suitable subject matter justified using such fine material.

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