Images(5)

Textile, brocaded damask

Date1730's

OriginEngland or Europe, France

MediumSilk and silver

DimensionsW: 21 3/8 in
L: 24 1/2 in
Repeat: 18 7/8 in v. Selvages: 1/4 in striped taffeta (3/green/2 ivory)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Francis Henry Lenygon.

Object number1972-150

DescriptionIvory silk brocade woven with rather obscure damask pattern of flowers, fountain, bridges, etc., brocaded in colored silks (peach, orange, rust, pinks to rose (3), blue, puce, yellow, red, chartruse, sage) and metallic silver threads, tied in coarse twill, in an offset "broken branch" or arborescent design (i.e., heavy branches bearing flowers, fruits, and nuts with foilage). Two different branches repeat in alternate alignment; twice repeated in the width of the cloth.Label TextFiber, Fabric, and Fortune:
Metallic threads were often embroidered onto fabric, but could also be woven into a textile, as seen in this example of silk brocade. Gold and silver threads were more brittle than silk or linen, requiring additional time and careful handling to create designs. A skilled weaver might typically make two or three yards of silk textile in a day, but only a quarter of a yard when working with metallic thread.Mark(s)(4602) MORANT &CO.Provenanceunknown date, Morant & Company (London, England); unknown date, Jeannette Becker Lenygon (New York, NY); 1972, given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)