Shawl thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Shawl

1851-1855 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Shawls tended to be very large in the 1850s, mainly because they were worn over wide crinoline skirts (skirts supported by a cage-like structure). Shawls like this one, produced in large quantities on a jacquard loom, were generally cheaper than the Indian shawls, which were hand-woven using a more time-consuming technique. By the 1850s the kashmir shawl industry in India was largely controlled by European agents who brought their own pattern books for the local shawl weavers to copy.

Design & Designing
Paisley in Scotland was one of the first shawl manufacturing centres in Britain to attempt exact reproductions of kashmir patterns in the early 19th century. By the 1850s the industry in Paisley was looking to France as well as India for inspiration. This was largely due to the introduction of the jacquard loom from France, which was in general use in Paisley by 1845. The use of this type of loom meant that more elaborate designs could be produced at a faster rate.

Ownership & Use
This is a two-colour shawl, which could be worn with either a white or red corner folded over and showing at the back. This gave the impression that the wearer owned two different shawls. Sometimes shawls were four-coloured, with each corner decorated with a different pattern in the middle.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Woven wool on a jacquard loom
Brief description
Woven shawl, Paisley, Great Britain, 1851-1855.
Physical description
Woven shawl with red and white centre.
Dimensions
  • Length: 348cm
  • Width: 160cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 26/01/1999 by sf
Gallery label
British Galleries: Shawls based on Indian designs were very fashionable in Britain by the 1850s. They combined both Indian and French influences. The elongated pine cone forms and the coloured end pieces were based on Indian patterns. The complex all-over pattern and floral motifs were distinctly European. Many of the colours, particularly the burgundy, would not have been used on a true Indian shawl.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Miss D. B. Simpson
Object history
Probably made in Paisley, Renfrewshire
Summary
Object Type
Shawls tended to be very large in the 1850s, mainly because they were worn over wide crinoline skirts (skirts supported by a cage-like structure). Shawls like this one, produced in large quantities on a jacquard loom, were generally cheaper than the Indian shawls, which were hand-woven using a more time-consuming technique. By the 1850s the kashmir shawl industry in India was largely controlled by European agents who brought their own pattern books for the local shawl weavers to copy.

Design & Designing
Paisley in Scotland was one of the first shawl manufacturing centres in Britain to attempt exact reproductions of kashmir patterns in the early 19th century. By the 1850s the industry in Paisley was looking to France as well as India for inspiration. This was largely due to the introduction of the jacquard loom from France, which was in general use in Paisley by 1845. The use of this type of loom meant that more elaborate designs could be produced at a faster rate.

Ownership & Use
This is a two-colour shawl, which could be worn with either a white or red corner folded over and showing at the back. This gave the impression that the wearer owned two different shawls. Sometimes shawls were four-coloured, with each corner decorated with a different pattern in the middle.
Collection
Accession number
T.111-1977

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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