Furnishing Fabric
1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a commercially produced furnishing cotton, roller-printed by the firm of Steiner & Co. of Church in Lancashire. The design was registered by the firm on 26 July 1899. The pattern has been attributed to Christopher Dresser.
It is known that Dresser sold designs to Steiner & Co., although the late date of registration suggests that the cotton was designed not by Dresser but, under his influence, in the Dresser studio. According to C.F.Tattersall, a pupil from 1894 until 1904, Dresser was then concerned with marketing and supervising, rather than design (see Widar Halen, 'Christopher Dresser', Oxford, 1890 p.114) . The attribution is based on its similarity to Dresser/Steiner cottons illustrated in 'Studio' magazine for 1899 ( Vol. XV, p.109). Nikolaus Pevsner's article, 'Christopher Dresser, Industrial Designer' in 'Architectural Review', vol. LXXXI, 1937 pp 183-6) also illustrates similar patterns.
This is one of a group of Steiner cottons, dating from 1899 to 1906, which were acquired by the V&A in 1957. They are all likely to have been manufactured for the continental market. Many show highly original art nouveau patterns in unusual colourings, neither of which would have appealed to the home market.
It is known that Dresser sold designs to Steiner & Co., although the late date of registration suggests that the cotton was designed not by Dresser but, under his influence, in the Dresser studio. According to C.F.Tattersall, a pupil from 1894 until 1904, Dresser was then concerned with marketing and supervising, rather than design (see Widar Halen, 'Christopher Dresser', Oxford, 1890 p.114) . The attribution is based on its similarity to Dresser/Steiner cottons illustrated in 'Studio' magazine for 1899 ( Vol. XV, p.109). Nikolaus Pevsner's article, 'Christopher Dresser, Industrial Designer' in 'Architectural Review', vol. LXXXI, 1937 pp 183-6) also illustrates similar patterns.
This is one of a group of Steiner cottons, dating from 1899 to 1906, which were acquired by the V&A in 1957. They are all likely to have been manufactured for the continental market. Many show highly original art nouveau patterns in unusual colourings, neither of which would have appealed to the home market.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Roller-printed cotton |
| Brief description | Printed furnishing fabric, 1899, British, probably designed in the studio of Christopher Dresser for Steiner & Co. |
| Physical description | Roller-printed cotton furnishing fabric with an elongated curving design in red and green on a white ground |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Steiner & Co. |
| Object history | Probably designed in the studio of Christopher Dresser in Barnes, London, and printed by the firm of Steiner & Co., Church, near Accrington, Lancashire |
| Production | Patent Office No. 342 134 |
| Summary | This is a commercially produced furnishing cotton, roller-printed by the firm of Steiner & Co. of Church in Lancashire. The design was registered by the firm on 26 July 1899. The pattern has been attributed to Christopher Dresser. It is known that Dresser sold designs to Steiner & Co., although the late date of registration suggests that the cotton was designed not by Dresser but, under his influence, in the Dresser studio. According to C.F.Tattersall, a pupil from 1894 until 1904, Dresser was then concerned with marketing and supervising, rather than design (see Widar Halen, 'Christopher Dresser', Oxford, 1890 p.114) . The attribution is based on its similarity to Dresser/Steiner cottons illustrated in 'Studio' magazine for 1899 ( Vol. XV, p.109). Nikolaus Pevsner's article, 'Christopher Dresser, Industrial Designer' in 'Architectural Review', vol. LXXXI, 1937 pp 183-6) also illustrates similar patterns. This is one of a group of Steiner cottons, dating from 1899 to 1906, which were acquired by the V&A in 1957. They are all likely to have been manufactured for the continental market. Many show highly original art nouveau patterns in unusual colourings, neither of which would have appealed to the home market. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.131-1957 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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