Green Silk Damask

Unknown

second half 17th century · Silk damask weave · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Like the nearby crimson example, this is a damask. Its subtle pattern was achieved by contrasting the shiny warp face with the matte weft face of the same weave, a technique that European weavers learned by studying imported Chinese silks. The motif’s midsize scale renders this design versatile enough to be used for furnishings, wall coverings, or dress fabric. This green silk damask was displayed in European Textiles and Costume Figures, on view at the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences (visible at center bottom in the photograph of 1938), and at Walton High School (visible at right in the photograph of February 9, 1939). [Elizabeth Cleland, 2020]

Artist

Unknown

Date

second half 17th century

Medium

Silk damask weave

Culture

Italian, Venice or Genoa

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1909