Curtain fragments of cotton (weft) and linen (warp), in a twill weave, embroidered with wool, England, possibly late 17th century.

Curtain fragments of cotton and linen twill (fustian) embroidered in two shades of wool, light blue and rusty red, with an asparagus pattern.

Two curtains were sold to the Museum by the Royal School of Needlework in 1936, one was acquired by Circulation Department and the other by Textiles Department (T.72-1936), each for £5 (RP36/5632-3 in MA/1/R1920 ‘Royal School of Needlework’). Identified as wool embroidery on cotton and linen, English, late 17th century. The piece for Circulation was larger but not in such good condition as the piece for Textiles. It was presumably the piece described as 'torn and repaired' in the minute of 9 Sept 1936, while the other piece was merely 'soiled'. There is no other information on the file.

Linen and cotton mixes (called fustians) were woven in a twill weave in Europe from the 14th century onwards. The first woven in Lancashire are thought to date to about 1600 (Wadsworth and Mann. The Cotton Trade and Industrial Lancashire, 1600-1780. MUP. 1968, p. 15). Montgomery provides evidence of fustian being bought to embroider with wool in the late 17th century (Textiles in America 1650-1870. Norton, 1984, p. 244).
The design has been identified as asparagus, a vegetable cultivated in ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt and known since the 1st century for its medicinal qualities. The term "sparagus" is recorded in English from the 16th century, when its cultivation and popularity spread throughout Europe.

This textile with its simple design of asparagus was probably intended for domestic furnishings, such as curtains. It is not exceptionally luxurious nor sophisticated and may have been the work of skilled amateur embroiderers. As such, it would have been appropriate for the less grand rooms of a noble family or for a merchant's house.

CIRC.155 to T-1936