Early nineteenth-century British carpet patterns
Date
1993
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
This paper examines forty-six "Brussels" carpet patterns, or "drafts." Designed by I. Arbuthnot, from the years 1803 to 1806 and 1813 to 1817 in England, the drafts contain information on the draw loom weaving process, early nineteenth-century textile pattern, and textile color. Each draft includes a design for a fiveframe "Brussels" or "Wilton" pattern, painted in watercolor on gridded paper; most are inscribed on the front with the size of the pattern and weaving instructions, and a list of colors, the quantities, and the artist's signature and date on the back. ☐ The patterns were catalogued in Kidderminster, England at Woodward Grosvenor Co., Ltd., in January of 1989 by the author. The patterns are classified by design according to Textile Designs by Susan Meller and Joost Elffers, and by color contrast according to The Elements of Color by Johannas Itten. The colors in the patterns, matched in natural daylight in England, are coded according to the Plochere Color System, based on the German physicist's Oswald's system. A catalogue of the patterns, along with color matches, appears in the appendices of this thesis. ☐ As only a handful of English patterns from this period were known previously, the drafts greatly expand the available information of early nineteenth-century carpet patterns. The most common size for Arbuthnot's patterns was 130 cords by 240 lashes. This size created a repeat of approximately 27 inches square. Other weaving instructions explained how to set up the loom; "comber," "point," and "cross point" indicated different gearing. Arbuthnot designed several types of motifs, including Neo-classical, Empire, Neo-Egyptian, Floral, Geometric, and Ethnic patterns. The artist utilized specific colors, such as orange or "barry" and red or "morone," and color contrasts, to achieve a dramatic effect in the patterns. Certain color combinations were associated with specific designs. This thesis provides a foundation for the understanding not only of Brussels and Wilton carpet pattern and color in the first two decades of the nineteenth century, but also the process of designing and weaving them.