Panel with Panthers, Birds, and Floral Motifs, 18th-19th century. Russia, Nizhniy Novgorod, 18th-19th century. Needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in one and two directions); bleached linen (est.); overall: 57.4 x 90.2 cm (22 5/8 x 35 1/2 in.). In this panel, a pair of panthers, a common motif in Russian textiles, flank a stylized Tree of Life. Two different types of birds fly above the scene. One bird is small, while the other is larger and similar to a peacock. The diamond patterning and geometric motifs throughout this lace are characteristic of Russian peasant laces.”