REFERENCES
- The collection consists of 46 examples of printed linen or cotton dating from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, and can be viewed by appointment.
- For example, Cluny Museum 13.045, printed in silver on blue linen with animal designs. Thanks to Florence Valantin who brought this example to my attention.
- D. King, ‘Textiles and the origins of printing in Europe’, in Pantheon: Internationale Zeitschrift für Kunst, Vol. XX (Munich, 1962).
- The use of the pattern in reserve gives a suggestion that printing blocks may have evolved from blocks used to emboss wool textiles. Such embossed textiles had already reached a high level of accomplishment in the fifteenth century as shown by a document highlighted by David Mitchell, ‘James Hales and his fustians with works, 1496’. Paper delivered at the 18th General Assembly of CIETA, Bern, 21 September 1999.
- J. Lessing, Die Gewebe-Sammlung des Königlichen Kunstgewerbe-Museums (Berlin, 1900 ), pl. 88 (KGM ’78.828) shows a figured silk with a pattern of paired lions, dragons, birds and deer. Thanks to Frances Pritchard for arranging for me to examine the copy in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.
- A study of block prints in Greece from 1920 –70 illustrates palm-sized hand blocks, and designs of paired birds and ogee cartouches similar to those used to create the medieval imitations. See: L. Giorgioti, ‘The Evolution of Manufactures in Tirnavos: The Block Printed Textiles’, and A. Vafeiadaki, and L. Mousioni, ‘The Wood-Blocks of Themistocles Ioannides’ Workshop’, in Ta Σλληγικα Σταμωτα: 180S–200S Aιωγαs [Greek Blockprints: 18th-20th century], The Ethographical Historical Museum of Larissa (Athens, 1997), pp. 87–127 (Greek with English summaries).
- As regards value, it is of interest that one of the Rhenish group textiles was offered at auction by Christie’s South Kensington, 29 June 1999. ‘Fine Needlework, Textiles, Lace, Costume and Haute Couture’, Lot 50. A ‘shaped fragment of linen, the pale blue ground printed in red with pairs of birds and dogs, 19 × 34 cm, 19th century in 14th century Rhenish style’. The lot, including a fragment of Italian velvet, was estimated at £150–200 but did not sell.