Design Card

1875-1922

Item

Dimensions: 153mm X 245mm

Royal School of Needlework: Created by the Royal School of Art Needlework as miniaturised versions of designs. Original designs were miniaturised and either traced or copied onto 'Design Cards' which were sent out to clients for next day approval. This was part of the work of the 'Painting Room' sometimes referred to as the Paintroom, the department responsible for all design and draftsmanship.

Design Card recording 'Early English' design based on 17th century Jacobean style crewelwork. The Royal School of Art Needlework (later the Royal School of Needlework) like much of the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetics movements was heavily influenced by historical examples of design and in this case of needlework. Many of the organisations founding members were collectors of historic needlework and they also had close links to the newly established South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) and the Artists Committee (comprised initially of Fredrick Leighton, GF Bodley and Val Princep) who advised on matters of design, actively encouraged students and employees in the Paintroom to copy and study old examples of good quality. It is likely that this design was taken from one of those examples.

It shows a design of leaves and exotic flowers (trailing vines, three lobed leaves, large spotted flowers/ pods with look of pomegranates) emanating out of a base with a circular scalloped design. Crewelwork was a very popular method of decorating domestic textiles in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many crewelwork designs were inspired by the 'Tree of Life' motif present on painted Indian palampores which were being imported into Britain. These crewelwork embroideries exhibited curling vines, large leaves in a variety of shapes, and, sometimes, flowers, with the 'tree' emanating from a base as seen in this design.

In pencil: Early English

In the printed Royal School of Art Needlework at the top of the card ART has been inked over, dating its use to post 1922 when School name changed to Royal School of Needlework. The same design can be seen in a folio from the paint-room from 1881 suggesting a period of use for this design of at least 40 years.

Early English. 3 The card is printed 'Royal School of (Art crossed out) Needlework, Exhibition Road, London S.W.' at the top, and 'It is respectfully requested that designs sent for selection be not kept more than ONE CLEAR DAY and to prevent damage in the post should be returned in the cards sent herewith. It is found necessary to make a charge for replacing designs returned in a damaged condition' at the bottom

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