Wallpaper
ca. 1890-1900 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Decorative schemes in the Aesthetic style often included imitation leather wallpapers. Some arbiters of taste, such as the writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), preferred them to conventional wallpapers because of the rich and luxurious effect they created. He recommended their use in his series of lectures on interior decoration. He also hung a Japanese leather paper in the drawing room of his ‘house beautiful’ at 16 Tite Street, London. This paper was one of several made for Liberty & Co., the London department store. Liberty’s specialised in Aesthetic style and oriental furnishings. The paper may have been made in Japan, where there were a number of workshops specialising in the production of imitation leather papers in the later 19th century. They manufactured them for the European market.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Embossed paper with bronze metallic pigment |
Brief description | Sample of Liberty 'leather' wallpaper with peacock feather motif. ca.1890-1900 |
Physical description | Sample of imitation embossed leather wallpaper with peacock feather motif. |
Dimensions |
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Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | 'No 84 / 36 inches wide / Price 17/6 / per piece of 12 yards / OR / 1/9 per yard. / LIBERTY & CO. LTD., LONDON.' (Label; on the back; Printed) |
Credit line | Given by Mr Paul Reeves |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | Decorative schemes in the Aesthetic style often included imitation leather wallpapers. Some arbiters of taste, such as the writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), preferred them to conventional wallpapers because of the rich and luxurious effect they created. He recommended their use in his series of lectures on interior decoration. He also hung a Japanese leather paper in the drawing room of his ‘house beautiful’ at 16 Tite Street, London. This paper was one of several made for Liberty & Co., the London department store. Liberty’s specialised in Aesthetic style and oriental furnishings. The paper may have been made in Japan, where there were a number of workshops specialising in the production of imitation leather papers in the later 19th century. They manufactured them for the European market. |
Bibliographic reference | Saunders, Gill. Wallpaper in Interior Decoration. V&A Publications. London. 2002. pp. 124. pl 108. |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.436-1999 |
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Record created | October 28, 1999 |
Record URL |
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