Style Starters: Liberty's of London Peacock Fabric, 1887

Textile
Roller Printed
Designed by Arthur Silver for Liberty's of London, 1887
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a textile sample from a roller-printed cotton which was used for furnishings, as curtains or upholstery. The brilliantly colored tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement. In addition to being a popular theme in textiles both for home and fashion, the feathers themselves were often used in the home—placed in vases and containers to add rich color to any space.  That’s a trick that I use around my own 1890s home and I must say it’s an elegant addition to a room.

This pattern was drawn in 1887 by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio was renowned for its designs and supplies them to a host of high-end retailers.

This particular textile was originally sold through Liberty's on Regent Street, London.  Liberty’s notably helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. This pattern was resurrected for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and has since become almost a trademark for the company.

Reverse of the fabric.

After a Fashion: The Lion, the Monkey and the Two Asses Handkerchief, 1710-20

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In Eighteenth Century France, personal items were often adorned with images which brought joy to their users. Among the most popular of these were handkerchiefs like this one with small scenes (vignettes). This handkerchief shows a scene from la Fontaine's fable “The Lion, the Monkey and the Two Asses.” Here, the lion sits on a high-backed chair at the left of the scene, with the monkey seated on the ground before him and the two mules to the right. The ornamental corner elements and the decorative border are rendered in the popular French style of the time.

The handkerchief is painted on dyed cotton chintz and was made between 1710 and 1720 on the Coromandel coast of India for export to France. 

Unusual Artifacts: Pyramus and Thisbe Valance, 1560

Pyramus and Thisbe
Panel from a Bed Valance, 1560
French, possibly made for Queen Catherine De Medici
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This piece of satin textile is one of a set of panels that once formed part of the decoration of a bed valance—a kind of pelmet round the top of bed curtains. The image is embroidered in colored silk on a red satin ground and depicts the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Pyramus, thinking that Thisbe was dead, committed suicide by falling on his own sword. This scene is shown within a frame held by men in stylized Roman military dress.

Other decorative motifs pictured include a laughing mask, birds, dolphins, ox skulls, an altar, a vase and draperies and figures of nudes and monsters in the Grotesque style which had been introduced to France between 1550 and 1575, based on Italian artifacts. Given the style, it is possible that this panel may have been part of a set made for Queen Catherine de Medici (1519–89, daughter of the Italian Lorenzo de Medici, later Queen Consort of France), or for another high-ranking member of the French court. Further evidence comes from the fact that in the Nineteenth Century, this fragment was bound in an album inscribed “RICAMI DEI MEDICI.” (‘embroideries of the Medici’). A gold braid was added in the Nineteenth Century.

Unusual Artifacts: Pyramus and Thisbe Valance, 1560

Pyramus and Thisbe
Panel from a Bed Valance, 1560
French, possibly made for Queen Catherine De Medici
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This piece of satin textile is one of a set of panels that once formed part of the decoration of a bed valance—a kind of pelmet round the top of bed curtains. The image is embroidered in colored silk on a red satin ground and depicts the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Pyramus, thinking that Thisbe was dead, committed suicide by falling on his own sword. This scene is shown within a frame held by men in stylized Roman military dress.

Other decorative motifs pictured include a laughing mask, birds, dolphins, ox skulls, an altar, a vase and draperies and figures of nudes and monsters in the Grotesque style which had been introduced to France between 1550 and 1575, based on Italian artifacts. Given the style, it is possible that this panel may have been part of a set made for Queen Catherine de Medici (1519–89, daughter of the Italian Lorenzo de Medici, later Queen Consort of France), or for another high-ranking member of the French court. Further evidence comes from the fact that in the Nineteenth Century, this fragment was bound in an album inscribed “RICAMI DEI MEDICI.” (‘embroideries of the Medici’). A gold braid was added in the Nineteenth Century.

Unusual Artifacts: Italian Silk Velvet Woven with Metallic Threads, 1450-1500

The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the late Medieval period, silk velvets were considered the most luxurious textiles—the stuff of courtiers and clergymen throughout Europe. By the Fifteenth Century, the most elegant silk velvets were produced in Italy as Italian weavers grew more proficient in producing more complex designs incorporating colored silks and gold threads.

This Italian example, made between 1450 and 1500, is considered a traditional “pomegranate pattern”, but it more closely resembles a thistle than it does a pomegranate. The center motif is outlined in dark emerald green, filled in with gold, and peppered with deep red “seeds.” This is surrounded by gold leaves, and green flowers, within a wine-colored trefoil shape.

The Home Beautiful: A William Morris Wall Hanging, 1877

Wall hanging
William Morris, 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see one panel from a set of embroideries designed to hang around the walls of the drawing room at Smeaton Manor, Northallerton, in North Yorkshire. William Morris was commissioned to produce the design which was embroidered by the owner of the Manor.

Other examples of this same design are in the collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. The design is comprised of repeating artichokes in blue, peach, lime, brown, hessian, cream and pink, and demonstrated Morris's preoccupation with Middle Eastern and early Italian silks and velvets.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Lester Bobbin Lace Fern Bodice Front, 1865-1875

The Victoria & Albert Museum

A popular adornment to a Nineteenth Century lady’s outfit was the addition of a lace collar or bodice front. This fashion was particularly stylish in the 1860s and early 1870s. Here, we see an example of the type of bodice front which would have been worn by a fashionable lady. Such a piece could have been worn with a variety of bodices. It would have been intended to be worn over a contrasting colored silk, setting its pattern into clear relief.

This example features a bib-shaped front worked with fine cotton thread and bobbin lace worked in a pattern of ferns and blossoms in cloth stitch with openwork decoration. A narrow border of Bucks point lace has been attached to the outer edge.

The detail and delicacy of the bobbin lace indicates that it was made in Bedfordshire, England which was a lace-making center. In fact, this type of work is often referred to as “Bedfordshire Style.” The curators at the V&A believe this piece was designed by Bedfordshire’s Thomas Lester who was known for such intricate patterns which often depicted ferns and other naturalistic themes. The botanical theme suggests that the bodice front was made between 1865 and 1875.

Style Starters: Liberty's of London Peacock Fabric, 1887

Textile
Roller Printed
Designed by Arthur Silver for Liberty's of London, 1887
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a textile sample from a roller-printed cotton which was used for furnishings, as curtains or upholstery. The brilliantly colored tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement. In addition to being a popular theme in textiles both for home and fashion, the feathers themselves were often used in the home—placed in vases and containers to add rich color to any space.  That’s a trick that I use around my own 1890s home and I must say it’s an elegant addition to a room.

This pattern was drawn in 1887 by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio was renowned for its designs and supplies them to a host of high-end retailers.

 
This particular textile was originally sold through Liberty's on Regent Street, London.  Liberty’s notably helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. This pattern was resurrected for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and has since become almost a trademark for the company.

Reverse of the fabric.

The Home Beautiful: The Queen Victoria Tapestry, 1877

Tapestry
Royal Windsor Tapestry Co., 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Some art historians believe that this portrait of Queen Victoria is the first tapestry which was ever woven at the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company. The portrait is based on a painting by the Austrian artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli (1840-1925).  The original painting was completed at Windsor Castle in 1875.

The Royal Windsor Tapestry Company was very closely associated with the Royal family, so its only fitting that its inaugural work would depict Queen Victoria who was their patron.  The connection, in fact was so close that the Queen’s children were appointed Presidents and Vice Presidents of the concern. The Queen made several visits to the tapestry company and notably recorded in her diaries her pleasure with the business.

The cartoon from which this tapestry was created was drawn in 1876 by Phoebus Levin, a German painter who was recorded as working in London between 1855 and 1878. According to the V&A, “the tapestry bears the names of Michel Brignolas, who became the first Manager, and of Henri C. M. Henry, Art Director of Gillows, the Oxford Street decorators who founded the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company.”

The finished product was presented to the Queen in 1877 in honor of her fortieth year on the throne.

The Home Beautiful: A William Morris Wall Hanging, 1877

Wall hanging
William Morris, 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see one panel from a set of embroideries designed to hang around the walls of the drawing room at Smeaton Manor, Northallerton, in North Yorkshire. William Morris was commissioned to produce the design which was embroidered by the owner of the Manor.

Other examples of this same design are in the collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. The design is comprised of repeating artichokes in blue, peach, lime, brown, hessian, cream and pink, and demonstrated Morris's preoccupation with Middle Eastern and early Italian silks and velvets.

Object of the Day: A Brocaded Silk Velvet Scarf, 1840-50

The Victoria and Albert Museum

Made in Britain between 1840 and 1850, this scarf of brocaded silk velvet which was given to the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1926 by Miss P. W. Stanbridge shows the fashion sensibilities of the era in a surprising way.


Though the Nineteenth Century is considered to be the “Age of the Shawl,”  the use of scarves as a useful adornment was revived among fashionable upper-class ladies around the 1840s and 1850s as shawls fell from favor after being adopted by lower classes. 


This elegant scarf shows the lush and elegant color palette of the time period--made of black silk velvet with a striped purple, yellow and green border running its length. At either end, there is a band of purple silk and two broad bands of patterned silk.  These are interrupted by narrow bands of purple silk arranged in groups of three. The ends of the piece are finished with black silk fringe.

When the scarf was given to the V&A, attached was a note which remains to this day.  It reads: “Scarf once the property of Mrs Emma Stanbridge, née Parris, who lived at Haberdashers' House, Pitfield St., Hoxton - the last good old house there - and died 1871.”

History's Runway: The Miss M.B. Johnson Evening Gown, 1805-1810

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Fashion of the early Nineteenth Century provided a clean, flattering silhouette in the Neoclassical style.  This evening ensemble from 1805-1810 shows the graceful lines and colors which defined the era.  Here, we see a high-waisted gown with short sleeves in the Neoclassical fashion which imitated the forms of Greek and Roman dress evidenced in the ancient sculptures which were discovered and displayed at the time. 

This gown, like others of the period is constructed of white muslin which was imported from India or, in the case of this example, made in Europe to imitate Indian materials.  It is an ideal example of the style with its high Empire waist, ruffled bodice and theatrical, cascading train.  Patterns were kept to a minimum.  Here, we see a pale design of acorns and vine tendrils down the front and around the hem of the gown.  


Such a gown was always accessorized with a scarf of knitted silk which was typically worn around the waist and supported by the lady’s elbows during the day, and used as a shawl in the evening.  In this case, the scarf has been printed in an Indian-inspired pattern similar to design on the gown, but in bolder, contrasting colors.

Made in France, the gown was given to the V&A by Miss M. B. Hudson.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Lester Bobbin Lace Fern Bodice Front, 1865-1875

The Victoria & Albert Museum

A popular adornment to a Nineteenth Century lady’s outfit was the addition of a lace collar or bodice front. This fashion was particularly stylish in the 1860s and early 1870s. Here, we see an example of the type of bodice front which would have been worn by a fashionable lady. Such a piece could have been worn with a variety of bodices. It would have been intended to be worn over a contrasting colored silk, setting its pattern into clear relief.

This example features a bib-shaped front worked with fine cotton thread and bobbin lace worked in a pattern of ferns and blossoms in cloth stitch with openwork decoration. A narrow border of Bucks point lace has been attached to the outer edge.

The detail and delicacy of the bobbin lace indicates that it was made in Bedfordshire, England which was a lace-making center. In fact, this type of work is often referred to as “Bedfordshire Style.” The curators at the V&A believe this piece was designed by Bedfordshire’s Thomas Lester who was known for such intricate patterns which often depicted ferns and other naturalistic themes. The botanical theme suggests that the bodice front was made between 1865 and 1875.

Unusual Artifacts: A Pair of Mittens from 1600

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Mittens! Old mittens! Old, very uncomfortable-looking mittens! But, they’re pretty. Here, we see a pair of mittens of crimson velvet and white satin. They are embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread, colored silks, beads and sequins.

To be fair, these mittens were made in 1600 for decorative rather than a practical function. Sure, someone wore them, but not because they were useful. Items like mittens and gloves in opulent embroidery and beadwork were meant to show off the wearer's wealth and status. Here, the embroidery features silver and silver-gilt thread with colored silks in a series of very complicated stitches depicting flowers such as borage, pinks and lilies, as well as insects and fruits. Present amidst the embroidered foliage, is a pillar entwined with a sprouting vine.

The designs here are clearly inspired by themes from Geffrey Whitney's book, “A Choice of Emblemes” (1586). This volume of emblems was the first such English book and it greatly influences the decorative arts during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.

The Home Beautiful: The Queen Victoria Tapestry, 1877

Tapestry
Royal Windsor Tapestry Co., 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Some art historians believe that this portrait of Queen Victoria is the first tapestry which was ever woven at the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company. The portrait is based on a painting by the Austrian artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli (1840-1925).  The original painting was completed at Windsor Castle in 1875.

The Royal Windsor Tapestry Company was very closely associated with the Royal family, so its only fitting that its inaugural work would depict Queen Victoria who was their patron.  The connection, in fact was so close that the Queen’s children were appointed Presidents and Vice Presidents of the concern.  The Queen made several visits to the tapestry company and notably recorded in her diaries her pleasure with the business.

The cartoon from which this tapestry was created was drawn in 1876 by Phoebus Levin, a German painter who was recorded as working in London between 1855 and 1878. According to the V&A, “the tapestry bears the names of Michel Brignolas, who became the first Manager, and of Henri C. M. Henry, Art Director of Gillows, the Oxford Street decorators who founded the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company.”

The finished product was presented to the Queen in 1877 in honor of her fortieth year on the throne.

Object of the Day: An Embroidered Piece of Silk Honoring Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee

 

In 1887, as Her Majesty Queen Victoria emerged from her self-imposed, mournful seclusion to celebrate fifty years on the throne, a variety of souvenirs were manufactured and marketed to the public who sought to honor their reclusive, but mostly beloved Queen.  This bit of silk was one of those items.

Beautifully woven and embroidered, the silk depicts a portrait of Victoria with her blue sash and orders and the wee diamond crown which she favored.  Beneath her, the Royal Standard and Union Jack flank a shielf emblazoned with the words “For Valour.”

Above her is embroidered:

1837 JUBILEE 1887

VICTORIA

QUEEN

OF

AN EMPIRE ON

WHICH THE

SUN NEVER SETS

So, what was this?  Was it a bookmark?  Perhaps.  But, I don’t think so.  I think, when first made, it was the ribbon attached to the bottom of a badge or medal.  We’ll never really know.  However, I’m so glad to have it, and so happy that it has survived all this time.

I do apologize for the glare on the photos and wish I had taken pictures before I framed it.

The Home Beautiful: A William Morris Wall Hanging, 1877

Wall hanging
William Morris, 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see one panel from a set of embroideries designed to hang around the walls of the drawing room at Smeaton Manor, Northallerton, in North Yorkshire. William Morris was commissioned to produce the design which was embroidered by the owner of the Manor.

Other examples of this same design are in the collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. The design is comprised of repeating artichokes in blue, peach, lime, brown, hessian, cream and pink, and demonstrated Morris's preoccupation with Middle Eastern and early Italian silks and velvets.

Object of the Day: Liberty's of London Peacock Fabric, 1887

Textile
Roller Printed
Designed by Arthur Silver for Liberty's of London, 1887
The Victoria & Albert Museum

It’s peacock day!  Not internationally or anything—just here on Stalking the Belle Époque.  And, when you think of peacocks, well, at least when I think of peacocks, the first thing that comes to mind (aside from the fact that they’re vicious and bite) is the Aesthetic and Pre-Raphaelite movements.  So, let’s take a look at some artistic representations of peacocks from those eras.

Here, we see a textile sample from a roller-printed cotton which was used for furnishings, as curtains or upholstery. The brilliantly colored tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement.  In addition to being a popular theme in textiles both for home and fashion, the feathers themselves were often used in the home—placed in vases and containers to add rich color to any space.  That’s a trick that I use around my own 1890s home and I must say it’s an elegant addition to a room.

This pattern was drawn in 1887 by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio was renowned for its designs and supplies them to a host of high-end retailers.

 
This particular textile was originally sold through Liberty's on Regent Street, London.  Liberty’s notably helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. This pattern was resurrected for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and has since become almost a trademark for the company.

Reverse of the fabric.