Peacock Feathers
Furnishing Fabric
1887 (made)
1887 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This fabric is a roller-printed cotton used for furnishings as curtains or upholstery. The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement. This textile is one of the most recognisable examples of this style. Used in patterns and for many different types of decorative work, peacock feathers were also used in their natural form for fans and dress accessories as well as hung on walls and displayed in vases in the home.
This pattern is one of a large number of commercial designs drawn by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio produced and sold designs to a range of commercial customers.
This textile was originally sold through Liberty's shop in Regent Street, London, which helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. It was revived and reprinted for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and since then has become almost a trademark for the company. The production of artistic textiles in the late 19th century usually involved specialist techniques such as hand-block printing. Surprisingly, Liberty's had this pattern printed by roller, the quickest and cheapest commercial techniques available.
This pattern is one of a large number of commercial designs drawn by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio produced and sold designs to a range of commercial customers.
This textile was originally sold through Liberty's shop in Regent Street, London, which helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. It was revived and reprinted for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and since then has become almost a trademark for the company. The production of artistic textiles in the late 19th century usually involved specialist techniques such as hand-block printing. Surprisingly, Liberty's had this pattern printed by roller, the quickest and cheapest commercial techniques available.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Peacock Feathers (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Roller-printed cotton |
| Brief description | Furnishing fabric 'Peacock Feathers' of roller-printed cotton, designed by Arthur Silver, made by Rossendale Printing Co. for Liberty & Co. Ltd., London, 1887 |
| Physical description | Furnishing fabric of roller-printed cotton. On a dark blue ground with a design of peacock feathers in green, brown, yellow and white. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The peacock feather, previously thought to be a symbol of bad luck, became an icon of the Aesthetic style. It was used in all forms of decoration and symbolised the movement's reputation for decadence. This printed cotton helped to establish Liberty & Co. as one of the leading suppliers of artistic furnishings.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Rex Silver, Esq. |
| Object history | Designed by Arthur Silver of the Silver Studio (born in Reading, Berkshire, 1853, died in London, 1896) Printed by the Rossendale Printing Co., Rossendale, Lancashire for Liberty & Co. Ltd., Regent Street, London |
| Summary | This fabric is a roller-printed cotton used for furnishings as curtains or upholstery. The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement. This textile is one of the most recognisable examples of this style. Used in patterns and for many different types of decorative work, peacock feathers were also used in their natural form for fans and dress accessories as well as hung on walls and displayed in vases in the home. This pattern is one of a large number of commercial designs drawn by Arthur Silver who set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green in 1880, later moving to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith, London. The Silver Studio produced and sold designs to a range of commercial customers. This textile was originally sold through Liberty's shop in Regent Street, London, which helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. It was revived and reprinted for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and since then has become almost a trademark for the company. The production of artistic textiles in the late 19th century usually involved specialist techniques such as hand-block printing. Surprisingly, Liberty's had this pattern printed by roller, the quickest and cheapest commercial techniques available. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.50-1953 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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