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Design

Design

  • Place of origin:

    Spitalfields, England (designed)

  • Date:

    03/11/1707 (designed)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Leman, James, born 1688 - died 1745 (designer)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and bodycolour on laid paper

  • Credit Line:

    Purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund

  • Museum number:

    E.1861:6-1991

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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The design on the left depicts oversized flowers amidst smaller architectural elements. The design is dated November 3rd 1707.

James Leman was born in 1688 into a weaving family of Huguenot descent. In 1702 he was apprenticed to his father, Peter, and lived with his family in Stewart Street, Spitalfields in London. Leman's inscription on the design states that it is made for his father Peter Leman, showing that he drew it while still an apprentice.

This design is from an album that contains 97 designs for fine silk cloth. A constant supply of fashionable new designs from which to create new lines was required, so patternmakers and master weavers like Leman supplied a wide range of designs for different weavers. The album contains some of his work from the period 1706-1716.

Physical description

A long design which folds out. It depicts oversized flowers amidst smaller architectural elements.

Place of Origin

Spitalfields, England (designed)

Date

03/11/1707 (designed)

Artist/maker

Leman, James, born 1688 - died 1745 (designer)

Materials and Techniques

Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and bodycolour on laid paper

Marks and inscriptions

'London Novr:3d 1707. / A Flowd: Sattin with changeing & Brocade / - 400 Cords Nr: 8 & 12 - 130 Dezines long / ffor my Father Leman by me James Leman'
Squared up in pencil for cords and dezines, with dezines numbered in ink.

Dimensions

Height: 68 cm, Width: 27 cm, Height: 26 3/4 in, Width: 10 5/8 in

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Rothstein, Natalie 'Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London with a Complete Catalogue with 473 Illustrations , 371 in Colour' London: Thames and Hudson, 1990. pp.96-107.

Production Note

Attribution note: This design is inscribed ' A Flowd: Sattin with changeing & Brocade' The colour of the silk in the shuttle of the pattern weft from selvage to selvage would be changed as needed, while other colours would be brocaded. This information is taken from Natalie Rothstein 'Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century'. See the References tab for the full bibliographic reference.

Materials

Pencil; Watercolour; Pen and ink; Bodycolour

Collection code

PDP

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Qr_O64978
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