Antique 17th Century Italian Embroidered Altar Panel Evangelist Luke

This is a spectacular religious textile, which incorporates fine silk embroidery with heavy metallic embroidery. It is Italian and dates from the mid to late seventeenth century (1650-1700). The outer design is worked onto richly textured crimson silk velvet, and there is a large circular hand drawn and embroidered central figural panel. There is a manuscript signature on the center back beneath the figural panel. The large (9" in diameter) medallion holds a beautiful depiction of the Apostle Luke, with pen in hand and the symbolic bull to his left. The design began with an original hand drawn image. While the the most part of the image unfolds to us with richly colored embroidery threads, the face and hands have been left without embroidery, with facial details drawn in ink. The hands of Luke are also bare of thread and are outlined with a single brown embroidery strand. The eyes, nose and center face of the bull are left to the background fabric as well with hand drawn detailing