Pair of curtains
MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY
An abundance of blooms, insects, and birds enlivens this textile. Made in Britain using Indian design conventions, the magnificent hanging embodies the expansion of global networks during the Early Modern period. Along with the artwork’s size and format, the shapes of the trees and the figurative details emulate motifs found on chintz palampores (painted and dyed cotton textiles) created in India. The decoration on this version, in contrast, features needlework, a skill at which British artists—both professional and amateur—excelled. Like many dyed chintzes exported from India to Britain, this embroidered hanging is probably from a set of bed curtains.
An abundance of blooms, insects, and birds enlivens this textile. Made in Britain using Indian design conventions, the magnificent hanging embodies the expansion of global networks during the Early Modern period. Along with the artwork’s size and format, the shapes of the trees and the figurative details emulate motifs found on chintz palampores (painted and dyed cotton textiles) created in India. The decoration on this version, in contrast, features needlework, a skill at which British artists—both professional and amateur—excelled. Like many dyed chintzes exported from India to Britain, this embroidered hanging is probably from a set of bed curtains.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pair of curtains
- Date: early 18th century
- Culture: British
- Medium: Silk, wool, linen
- Dimensions: Overall (69.131.17): 95 x 84 in. (241.3 x 213.4 cm);
Overall (69.131.18): 94 1/2 x 87 in. (240 x 221 cm) - Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
- Credit Line: Bequest of Walter Carlebach, 1969
- Object Number: 69.131.17, .18
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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first half 18th century
British
first half 18th century
probably French
early 18th century
Joseph Bradbury
ca. 1700
Greek Islands, Kos or Patmos
18th century
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