Judith, richly clothed, as befitted a noble woman, is shown at the moment of victory, sword held high. The dress of the maid, half hidden behind her mistress, is simpler, indicative of the designer's attention to detail as well as the social differentiation.

The flowers include honeysuckle, foxglove, rose, borage, strawberry, marigold, cornflower and foxglove, differing from the selection seen on the arms of Sacheverell. They were probably copied from one of the many plant books imported from Antwerp, easily available by the later part of the century at the bookstalls in St Paul 's churchyard.

The border of this tapestry is unusual - the striped edging on its inner side was once enough to suggest that it too was woven at Barcheston, but the outer section, with its twisted -S- shapes, is not paralleled amongst other examples from there. One may wonder, therefore, whether the tapestry was made elsewhere - possibly even in London amongst the émigré workshops established there from 1558 onwards.

Almost certainly this picture was derived from a print source, probably Hieronymus Wierix (1553-1619).

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109119/cushion-cover/

Museum number T.273-1927