Length of fabric
Object name
Inspired by
Date made
Circa 1880-1900
Place made
Description
Late 19th-century length of yellow silk brocade with musical instruments, flags, and flowers.
Content description
A circa 1880-1900 length of brocaded silk woven with motifs of flowers, musical instruments, and flags on a yellow background with raised diamonds. The heavy, stiff fabric was very likely used for domestic furnishings.
In a cartouche formed by each curve of the swag of flowers are groups of musical instruments which include a French horn, cello, drum, lyre, trombone, and clarinet. These are accompanied by sheet music as well as a quiver of arrows, and two flags, one a Union Jack and the other a blue pennant. In one grouping of musical instruments, arrows, and flags are three separate arrows with a flag. All of these musical groupings are intertwined with green shamrock. One group has stylised roses in blue and the other sunflowers in blue with forget-me-nots.
The swags of flowers include red roses, mauve auriculas, red carnations, blue convolvulus, bluebells, mauve chrysanthemums, and other stylised flowers.
This length of fabric is an almost exact copy of a textile in the Victoria & Albert Museum (T.171-1965), which is a mid-18th-century design attributed to Jon Vansommer. It appears to be a late 19th-century reproduction of that Spitalfields design. The presence of flags suggests this may be a patriotic occasion or anniversary, though which one is unknown.
In a cartouche formed by each curve of the swag of flowers are groups of musical instruments which include a French horn, cello, drum, lyre, trombone, and clarinet. These are accompanied by sheet music as well as a quiver of arrows, and two flags, one a Union Jack and the other a blue pennant. In one grouping of musical instruments, arrows, and flags are three separate arrows with a flag. All of these musical groupings are intertwined with green shamrock. One group has stylised roses in blue and the other sunflowers in blue with forget-me-nots.
The swags of flowers include red roses, mauve auriculas, red carnations, blue convolvulus, bluebells, mauve chrysanthemums, and other stylised flowers.
This length of fabric is an almost exact copy of a textile in the Victoria & Albert Museum (T.171-1965), which is a mid-18th-century design attributed to Jon Vansommer. It appears to be a late 19th-century reproduction of that Spitalfields design. The presence of flags suggests this may be a patriotic occasion or anniversary, though which one is unknown.
Dimensions
width: 52.5cm
height: 103cm
height: 103cm
Materials
Motifs
carnation
cornflower
rose
clarinet
drum
harp
horn
trumpet
sheet music
cello
bluebell
sunflower
chrysanthemum
forget-me-not
convolvulus
auricula
shamrock
trombone
arrows
flag
quiver
flower
cornflower
rose
clarinet
drum
harp
horn
trumpet
sheet music
cello
bluebell
sunflower
chrysanthemum
forget-me-not
convolvulus
auricula
shamrock
trombone
arrows
flag
quiver
flower
Credit line
Gift of unidentified donor, 1996.
Catalogue number
COL.1996.34
Other numbers
RSN 1162
© Royal School of Needlework