NeedlePrint featured an auction site a couple of days ago - Bonham's. at http://needleprint.blogspot.com/2011/02/richmond-collection-of-early-needlework.html

It's the middle of the night here, and I've been looking at the pictures.

Starts 15thC. Lots and lots of yummy use of silk wrapped purl in birds, flowers (quite a lot!) trees, insects. Lots of interestingly coloured hillocks.

But my pick of the set so far is http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/WService=wslive_pub/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=3816503&iSaleNo=18761&iSaleSectionNo=2

Lot No: 28

A wall pocket

English, late 17th Century
The arched top embroidered with peacocks and having four pockets applied to a green silk ground, each pocket front of ivory silk embroidered in satin stitch in mainly green, yellow and blue silks with carnations, scrolling leaves and birds, having applied spangles and gilt metal bobbin lace edge,
70 x 23.5cm (27 1/2 x 9 1/4in), set within an oak glazed frame.

Sorry I couldn't get the full width, but it is symmetrical.

You can zoom down to the pixel level

This is one of the embroidered 'pockets' shown, and the colours and clarity are better on-screen at the auction site.

There was also a great peacock, with a long silver tail (to the left of it's image) in another picture/Lot.
And look at the great tree it's sitting on!

This stuff is like gold - like a small Addendum to Txixt Art and Nature