Not currently on display at the V&A

Textile Fragment

19th century (made)
Place of origin

A silk, woven, patterned lampas. A ground of irregular weave where 2, double, lines of 6 end satin alternate with 2, double, lines of complicated twill (3.1.1.1). The pattern is created using lance effects of the supplementary coloured wefts. The design is of tree branches, birds (some wearing hats, some holding small purse like motifs) above a fence with foliage beneath it. The pattern is bound on the front by the binding warp in a plain weave over ½ of the [double] warp ends. The fragment has the base edge and one side of selvedge. On the reverse Japanese characters are written onto a strip of the fabric using pink paint.

Warp
Ratio 2 (doubles):1
1) ground
silk, x-ply, S twist, double
yellow
app. 92 ends cm
2) binding
silk, 1 ply, no evidence of twist
cream

Weft
Ratio 1:1 (all supplementary)
1) ground
silk, x-ply, sight S twist, double
yellow
app. 48 picks cm
2) supplementary lance
a) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist
light blue, white
b) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist, double and Z twisted together, some slub, maroon
c) gilded paper - metallic (gold alloy?) paper strips (lined one side only)


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
woven silk and metallic paper strips
Brief description
Fragment of woven, patterned silk. Lampas. Japan, 19th century.
Physical description
A silk, woven, patterned lampas. A ground of irregular weave where 2, double, lines of 6 end satin alternate with 2, double, lines of complicated twill (3.1.1.1). The pattern is created using lance effects of the supplementary coloured wefts. The design is of tree branches, birds (some wearing hats, some holding small purse like motifs) above a fence with foliage beneath it. The pattern is bound on the front by the binding warp in a plain weave over ½ of the [double] warp ends. The fragment has the base edge and one side of selvedge. On the reverse Japanese characters are written onto a strip of the fabric using pink paint.

Warp
Ratio 2 (doubles):1
1) ground
silk, x-ply, S twist, double
yellow
app. 92 ends cm
2) binding
silk, 1 ply, no evidence of twist
cream

Weft
Ratio 1:1 (all supplementary)
1) ground
silk, x-ply, sight S twist, double
yellow
app. 48 picks cm
2) supplementary lance
a) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist
light blue, white
b) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist, double and Z twisted together, some slub, maroon
c) gilded paper - metallic (gold alloy?) paper strips (lined one side only)

Dimensions
  • Height: 235mm
  • Width: 130mm
Marks and inscriptions
There are Japanese characters written on the reverse.
Translation
Response from V&A staff: "... tussled with this, but to no effect. The last two characters look like 'the seventh year of', but we can't find a reign date, Chinese, Japanese or Korean, that match anything vaguely resembling the first two characters."
Summary
A silk, woven, patterned lampas. A ground of irregular weave where 2, double, lines of 6 end satin alternate with 2, double, lines of complicated twill (3.1.1.1). The pattern is created using lance effects of the supplementary coloured wefts. The design is of tree branches, birds (some wearing hats, some holding small purse like motifs) above a fence with foliage beneath it. The pattern is bound on the front by the binding warp in a plain weave over ½ of the [double] warp ends. The fragment has the base edge and one side of selvedge. On the reverse Japanese characters are written onto a strip of the fabric using pink paint.

Warp
Ratio 2 (doubles):1
1) ground
silk, x-ply, S twist, double
yellow
app. 92 ends cm
2) binding
silk, 1 ply, no evidence of twist
cream

Weft
Ratio 1:1 (all supplementary)
1) ground
silk, x-ply, sight S twist, double
yellow
app. 48 picks cm
2) supplementary lance
a) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist
light blue, white
b) silk, x-ply, no evidence of twist, double and Z twisted together, some slub, maroon
c) gilded paper - metallic (gold alloy?) paper strips (lined one side only)
Collection
Accession number
FEC.LOST 98/15/4.22

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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