Images(2)

Textile, printed

Dateca. 1790

OriginEurope, France (possibly)

MediumCotton; linen sewing threads

Dimensions63" long
Selvage width 30"

Credit LineGift of F. Schumacher and Company.

Object number1974-6,1

DescriptionFragment of a curtain. The textile is printed in a design of exotic flowers, pineapples, and serrate leaves in madder reds, blue, purple and black on natural cotton ground. Blue details were added by means of "pencil blue". The design has an offset vertical repeat. Selvages at each side were folded back and stitched to other pieces, now lost. Remnants of linen sewing threads remain at each edge.Label TextAt first glance this textile looks like an Indian chintz example, with its exotic flowers and serrate edges. However, the regularity of the repeated details signals that it was printed in Europe using carved wood blocks. The indigo blue areas were hand applied using the technique of penciling. Designs such as this were sometimes called "Indienne." The textile was once part of a curtain with rings, now removed.