Furnishing Fabric
1802 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
For the first 20 years of the 19th century, the finest and most expensive printed furnishings were polychrome woodblock-printed cottons, the technique used here (with the addition of pencilled blue). This fabric could have been used for curtains or upholstery. In this period it was particularly fashionable for the different furnishings used in a room, including window curtains and upholstery fabric, to match or complement each other. Bannister Hall, near Preston, Lancashire, where this fabric was printed, was the leading works for woodblock furniture chintzes and set the fashion for other factories. Printing was carried out for London linen-drapers, such as Richard Ovey of Covent Garden, who from 1790 to 1831 was the leading London merchant for 'furniture prints'. He commissioned designs from skilled artists and sent them to Lancashire or to Carlisle in Cumbria to be printed.
The original design for this cotton is inscribed : 'Ovey No. 84. Nov. 1802.'
The original design for this cotton is inscribed : 'Ovey No. 84. Nov. 1802.'
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Block-printed cotton with pencilled blue |
| Brief description | Furnishing fabric of block-printed cotton, designed for Richard Ovey, printed at Bannister Hall, Preston, 1802 |
| Physical description | Furnishing fabric of block-printed cotton with pencilled blue, on a red background. The pattern includes a design of 'Indian' chintz. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Josephine Howell |
| Object history | This textile was commissioned by Richard Ovey, a linen-draper who commissioned designs and sent out work to the printworks of his choice. He used mainly the Bannister Hall works near Preston, but also printers in Carlisle and at Crayford, Kent. One of the leading London linen-drapers of the period, he supplied the Prince of Wales (later Regent) and other members of the Royal Family. The original design for this cotton is inscribed : 'Ovey No. 84. Nov. 1802.' |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | For the first 20 years of the 19th century, the finest and most expensive printed furnishings were polychrome woodblock-printed cottons, the technique used here (with the addition of pencilled blue). This fabric could have been used for curtains or upholstery. In this period it was particularly fashionable for the different furnishings used in a room, including window curtains and upholstery fabric, to match or complement each other. Bannister Hall, near Preston, Lancashire, where this fabric was printed, was the leading works for woodblock furniture chintzes and set the fashion for other factories. Printing was carried out for London linen-drapers, such as Richard Ovey of Covent Garden, who from 1790 to 1831 was the leading London merchant for 'furniture prints'. He commissioned designs from skilled artists and sent them to Lancashire or to Carlisle in Cumbria to be printed. The original design for this cotton is inscribed : 'Ovey No. 84. Nov. 1802.' |
| Bibliographic reference | Hefford, Wendy. 'The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textiles Collection : Design for Printed Textiles in England from 1750 to 1850', London : The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992, p.26, pl.127 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.495-1956 |
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| Record created | January 21, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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