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Not currently on display at the V&A

Band

1620 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Tapestry-woven band on a white woollen ground. From right to left across the band, a hound in shades of brown and yellow outlined in black chases a stag of similar colour. A hound in black silk, only one in wool, is outlined in brown chases a unicorn in shades of grey outlined in black. The sequence of animals is repeated 4.75 times in the length of the band, interspersed with upright or scrolling stems of small flowers and acorns in shades of pink, red, blue and yellow, and with green stems and leaves. The centres of these flowers, the collars of the dogs and the horns of quarry, together with shading in some petals and in the acorn cups, are woven in gold thread of metal strip wound on a tan silk core.

At the far left of the band are two coats of arms - a silver fish on a blue ground (d'azur au poisson d'argent, courbé en pal) possibly for Wolf of Zurich, and gironny de sable et d'or for Stucky of Winterthur, near Lucerne. Then come four flowers on a larger scale than the others, all on a meandering stem, with the date 1620 woven beneath in black.

The pattern band is terminated with a vertical stripe of stepped triangles in two shades of pink at the left, and in blue and white at the right. Each end of the band narrows slightly, that on the left contain a long horizontal slit which is too narrow to take the width of the band. The edges of the band are loosely oversewn with black silk.

The band is woven with wool, silk and metal thread on a linen warp, with 19-20 warp threads to the inch (8 to the cm). Some details, particularly some outlines, are embroidered over the weaving.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tapestry woven wool, silk, metal thread on a linen warp, embroidered
Brief description
Tapestry-woven band on a woollen ground, silk, metal thread on a linen warp, Switzerland, 1620
Physical description
Tapestry-woven band on a white woollen ground. From right to left across the band, a hound in shades of brown and yellow outlined in black chases a stag of similar colour. A hound in black silk, only one in wool, is outlined in brown chases a unicorn in shades of grey outlined in black. The sequence of animals is repeated 4.75 times in the length of the band, interspersed with upright or scrolling stems of small flowers and acorns in shades of pink, red, blue and yellow, and with green stems and leaves. The centres of these flowers, the collars of the dogs and the horns of quarry, together with shading in some petals and in the acorn cups, are woven in gold thread of metal strip wound on a tan silk core.

At the far left of the band are two coats of arms - a silver fish on a blue ground (d'azur au poisson d'argent, courbé en pal) possibly for Wolf of Zurich, and gironny de sable et d'or for Stucky of Winterthur, near Lucerne. Then come four flowers on a larger scale than the others, all on a meandering stem, with the date 1620 woven beneath in black.

The pattern band is terminated with a vertical stripe of stepped triangles in two shades of pink at the left, and in blue and white at the right. Each end of the band narrows slightly, that on the left contain a long horizontal slit which is too narrow to take the width of the band. The edges of the band are loosely oversewn with black silk.

The band is woven with wool, silk and metal thread on a linen warp, with 19-20 warp threads to the inch (8 to the cm). Some details, particularly some outlines, are embroidered over the weaving.
Dimensions
  • Length: 103.25in
  • Width: 1.875in
Marks and inscriptions
'1620' (Woven in black underneath the coat of arms)
Collection
Accession number
T.102-1967

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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