Portion of silk velvet wall hanging, blue and yellow, Italian, late 16th century

Loom-width of cut and uncut velvet on a yellow satin ground, with a pattern of large scrolling blue stylised flowers and foliage. The central band of flowers and leaves is edged on each side with a smaller curving pattern contained within two vertical stripes. In its length the piece comprises just over one full pattern repeat. The piece is unevenly cut, the upper edge raw and the lower edge turned in and hemmed. The thread used for the hemming looks as if it dates to before 1900. The ground is threadbare and has been darned in several places. It seems to have been satin.

Technical description provided by Lisa Monnas (16 March 2006): 5 shaft satin ground; ground warps of very fine silk without visible twist; ground wefts yellow silk thick threads without visible twist; cut and uncut pile of blue silk.

Acquired by museum in 1893 from Benguiat Bros., 44 King Street, Regent Street, London W, along with 11 other 16th and 17th century textiles (174-185-1893). Originally, some thirty speciments were sent on approval (RF). Acquired for £4.0.0. No other information on provenance available.

Historical significance: This piece of silk is a representative example of a group of rich furnishing textiles made towards the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century. The abstract foliage in style fit within a European design tradition, while the weaving technique is in keeping with the most sophisticated handloom weaving in Western Europe in this period.

This type of silk velvet was used as a furnishing fabric, the vertical disposition of the pattern being suited to wall-hangings or curtains. In the hierarchy of silk products, it was one of the richest because the technique of velvet weaving required skilled weavers (often specialised in this particular technique). This particular velvet is particularly complex because it comprises different forms of pile. In Western Europe, expertise in velvet-weaving was restricted at this period to various Italian cities (e.g. Florence, Genoa, Venice) and to certain centres in Spain, some of which had gained their knowledge through the import of Italian craftsmen (e.g. Valencia).

Date and place of making attributed on the basis of where the greatest concentration of silk weaving of this quality occurred in Europe; the alternative would be Spain.

Attribution note: Not unique, probably batch produced or produced to commission.
Reason For Production: Commission

This panel of silk velvet was probably used as a furnishing fabric, the vertical disposition of the pattern being suited to wall-hangings or curtains. In the hierarchy of silk products in the 16th century, velvet was one of the richest because the technique of velvet-weaving required skilled weavers. This particular velvet is one of the more complex because it comprises different forms of pile.

In western Europe, expertise in velvet-weaving was restricted at this period to various Italian cities (for example Florence, Genoa and Venice) and to certain centres in Spain (e.g. Valencia), some of which had gained their knowledge through the import of Italian craftsmen.

178-1893