Four stags entwined

George Bain didn’t only produce what is still considered to be the ultimate guide to producing Celtic art. As well as wood and leather, he was also interested in textiles. He developed charts for knitting and embroidery as well as creating designs for rugs. A range of complex rug patterns were sent to the manufacturers Messrs Quayle and Tranter of Kidderminster.

This detailed chart is of four stags. Their antlers interlace and form a tight knotwork pattern. The design was found amongst the vast archive of Bain’s work that was donated to the museum after his death. It is one of several that we think he may have submitted to the manufacturer.