Bed Cover
c.1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The application of shaped pieces of fabric onto a ground material can create very striking designs. In this instance, the maker has use a variation of applique known as 'broderie perse', whereby individual printed motifs, such as flowers or birds, are cut from fashionable chintzes and then stitched onto a larger piece of plain fabric. The technique of broderie perse became particularly fashionable in middle class homes between 1775 and 1840. Women were keen to produce finely worked items that signalled their aspirations towards gentility, while also declaring their access to the latest printed cottons. Broderie perse displayed both to best effect.
Many of the textiles seen here were printed in the first decades of the nineteenth century, at a time when the British cotton industry was rapidly expanding. The market was flooded with a new range of printed cottons for clothing and furnishings, which could also be used for the creation of light, bright coverings for the bedroom. Many broderie perse coverlets of the period drew on printed fabrics produced in northern textile towns such as Manchester and Preston. The glazed cottons used here are reminiscent of (but not the same as) the Bannister Hall examples of T.382-1960.
Many of the textiles seen here were printed in the first decades of the nineteenth century, at a time when the British cotton industry was rapidly expanding. The market was flooded with a new range of printed cottons for clothing and furnishings, which could also be used for the creation of light, bright coverings for the bedroom. Many broderie perse coverlets of the period drew on printed fabrics produced in northern textile towns such as Manchester and Preston. The glazed cottons used here are reminiscent of (but not the same as) the Bannister Hall examples of T.382-1960.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Linen with cotton appliqué |
| Brief description | Appliqué work bed cover, England, 1820. |
| Physical description | Bed cover of unfinished white linen decorated with applied motifs cut from glazed furnishing cottons of the 1820s. The cover is made up from strips, squares and triangles of white linen joined by inset strips of printed borders and pieces cut from dress cottons. A large central square is set within a diamond shape which just touches the centres of the outer border. The corners are also marked out in squares. Each section contains an applied floral motif and the outer border contains floral wreaths and birds. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Miss E M Hoare |
| Object history | Given to the V&A in 1970 by Miss E. M. Hoare [R.P. 70/3296]. The donor came from Salisbury, Wiltshire. |
| Historical context | From the late eighteenth century the British cotton industry developed into one of the most successful in the world. Woven silks had been the dominant fabric used for quilts and coverlets in the eighteenth century. They retained their appeal with the aristocracy, but by the early years of the nineteenth century printed cottons became the preferred choice of furnishing for fashionable middle-class homes. It was important to use up-to-date patterns, and because they were expensive to buy, they had to be used to best advantage. Consequently Broderie Perse became a popular technique, as it showed the most fashionable details exactly as they had been printed. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The application of shaped pieces of fabric onto a ground material can create very striking designs. In this instance, the maker has use a variation of applique known as 'broderie perse', whereby individual printed motifs, such as flowers or birds, are cut from fashionable chintzes and then stitched onto a larger piece of plain fabric. The technique of broderie perse became particularly fashionable in middle class homes between 1775 and 1840. Women were keen to produce finely worked items that signalled their aspirations towards gentility, while also declaring their access to the latest printed cottons. Broderie perse displayed both to best effect. Many of the textiles seen here were printed in the first decades of the nineteenth century, at a time when the British cotton industry was rapidly expanding. The market was flooded with a new range of printed cottons for clothing and furnishings, which could also be used for the creation of light, bright coverings for the bedroom. Many broderie perse coverlets of the period drew on printed fabrics produced in northern textile towns such as Manchester and Preston. The glazed cottons used here are reminiscent of (but not the same as) the Bannister Hall examples of T.382-1960. |
| Bibliographic reference | Linda Parry, 'Complexity and context: nineteenth-century British quilts', in Sue Prichard (ed.), Quilts 1700-2010 (London: V&A, 2010) p.62
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.399-1970 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | September 11, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
