Changeable-color textile

Cheney Brothers|Associated Artists

1883–1900 · Silk, woven · The American Wing

Candace Wheeler’s (1827-1923) Associated Artists was especially famous for its “changeable” silks, which were woven from threads of two or more colors, or different tints of the same color, to produce a multitone effect that changes with the light. The simplest type of changeable silk is illustrated by this plain-woven silk fabric with a black warp (vertical threads) and a red weft (horizontal threads). When the silk is draped, light falling on its folds emphasizes its two-tone quality.

Artist

Cheney Brothers|Associated Artists

Date

1883–1900

Medium

Silk, woven

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Boudinot Keith, 1928