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Textile fragment 1962-274,2
Textile, floral copperplate print, purple/sepia
Textile fragment 1962-274,2

Textile, floral copperplate print, purple/sepia

Dateca. 1755
OriginEngland, Middlesex, Bromley Hall
MediumCotton
Dimensions40 1/2" H x 37 1/4" wide (irregular, pieced together) Repeat about 36 1/4 inches Thread count 40 x 52
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1962-274,2
DescriptionTextile fragments printed with copperplate in a design of naturalistic flowers including carnations, chrysanthemums, peonies, roses, lilacs, hydrangeas, and morning glories on undulating trailing stems. The textile is now primarily sepia on natural ground, but was once purple. The fragment is irregular in shape, pieced together from three pieces that are seamed to match the design.
Label TextThis textile was originally printed with a copper plate in purple on white. The mordants (color fixatives) used for printing purple were corrosive, attacking the textile over time, weakening the ground fabric, and causing the color to turn from the original rich purple to sepia or black. In certain areas one can still discern traces of the original purple color on this textile, now mostly sepia.