B & I Journal

Ocean Flowers: Anna Atkins's Cyanotypes of British Algae

2009-03-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

1843-53. Link

Something...

2009-03-12T18:49:00.005-04:00

1975: Something Charles (Eames) said to Ray, and so she wrote it down: "Any indication of not knowing how constantly great you are is merely a lapse into insanity. C.E. to R.E., Jan. 3, 1975"
via Reference Library

Brooch

2009-02-16T20:50:00.003-05:00

circa 1400: Perfect. "This heart-shaped brooch with its romantic inscription was given as a token of love. It would have been used to fasten a tunic, gown or cloak. Gold was the most costly of metals, generally used only by royalty and the nobility. It is inscribed and would have formerly been enamelled on the reverse in French, in black letter script, ‘Ourselves and all things at your whim’ ('Nostre et tout ditz a vostre desier'). The design on the front of the brooch, possibly stylised leaves and flowers or feathers, would also have been colourfully enamelled." Link

Quarries

2009-02-16T20:45:00.001-05:00

1646: "This panel comprises nine quarries (small diamond-shaped panels) of green tinted glass, each diamond engraved with an inscription. (See Further Information.) They are purported to have been written by Charles I (1600-1649) to his wife Henrietta Maria (1609-1669) on the window of his prison at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where he was detained in 1646. There is, however, no evidence to support this supposed provenance. The glass is hand blown and extremely thin, qualities compatible with a 17th-century date." Link

L'Oreal Paris. Because You're Worth It. Billboards

2009-02-16T20:30:00.002-05:00

1999-2003: Photograph by Stephen Gill. Link

Examples of False Principles of Decoration

2009-02-16T20:21:00.003-05:00

1852: "This candlestick was included in the display of 'Examples of False Principles of Decoration' held at Marlborough House, Pall Mall in 1853 and described as follows:

'No.87 Candlestick in the style of Louis XV
Observations - An example of the extreme faults of this style; symmetrical arrangement being rejected as a principle, and structured form disregarded, the whole appears the result of chance rather than design. The base is formless, confused and too heavy for the stem, which is in turn structurally broken in two places; the socket has no determinate form, and does not correspond to the cup inserted into it; all that is obtained by this sacrifice of structural and ornamental principles, is the mere glitter of metal.'

Henry Cole and other design reformers of the 19th century believed that museums could be 'antidotes to brutality and vice' and could serve to improve people's tastes and morals. The desire to improve the taste of the public was a strong one in this period as a response to the social problems linked with industrialisation and the perceived decline in British standards of manufacturing and design." Link

Pope & Plante

2009-02-16T20:16:00.004-05:00

1851: "Stockings were essential items in everyone's wardrobe. The desire to mass-produce knitted hose spurred technological development, starting with the invention of the stocking frame in the late 16th century and the circular frame in the early 19th century.

This stocking was almost certainly a special product for the Great Exhibition. An inscription is unusual in a commercially made garment at this date, but it shows the many different shapes and patterns that the company's knitting machines could produce. The words may be adapted from the Bible: 'Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren...' (1 Pet. 3:8)." Link
This stocking features two colours of silk, a black leg and foot with a white toe and welt. The addition of 'clocks' (patterns worked at the ankle) and decorative patterning in women's stockings was typical in the 19th century.

The inclusion of the manufacturer's name and motto in the knitted pattern were special additions for the purpose of the exhibition. Normally the manufacturer was indicated by maker's marks or initials." Link

HL

2009-02-16T19:53:00.003-05:00

1941: Peter Stackpole for Life.

Tea Cosy

2009-02-08T20:47:00.001-05:00

2009: "Handknitted for Labour and Wait." Link

For Sale: Antique Pillowcase with French Knots

2009-02-08T18:18:00.003-05:00

2009: "This is a very nice Victorian / Edwardian Pillow case cover that has not been finished, this is just the top part." Link

For Sale: Antique Linen Coverlet

2009-02-08T18:04:00.002-05:00

2009: "Here is a lovely antique spread/coverlet for a four-poster bed. Ecru linen and lace. The lace is beautiful. The inserted panels and the edges both measure about 10" wide. It is in wonderful condition... I see no issues with the lace. The linen on the other hand is quite fragile with lots of small areas that are worn thin with some holes. Over all it measures 93" wide and 97" long." Link

Drawing with French Knots

2009-01-21T01:07:00.006-05:00

Linen Bunny & Sunflower

Knot a Lot - A Pebble Paperweight

2009: "French knots are a basic element of embroidery that can be strung together to make lines and shapes." Link

Barack Obama Cross Stitch

2009-01-20T12:45:00.001-05:00

2009: "Celebrate a momentous day in political history by crafting your own Barack Obama cross stitch." Link

Happy New Year!

2009-01-10T00:47:00.001-05:00

2009: Best Wishes for 2009! Happy New Year Sampler here

B & I work in progress: Blueprints

2008-12-21T20:25:00.005-05:00

2008: With the holidays approaching this blueprint of a buffet table setting will come in handy as a tablecloth... Special order here.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-15T00:06:00.001-05:00

Revery

2008-09-17T23:32:00.001-04:00

1929:
Aaron Bohrod
etching
plate: 5 1/8 x 3 7/8 in. (13.1 x 9.8 cm)
Smithsonian American Art Museum Link

Chatelaine

2008-09-14T17:22:00.004-04:00

1810-1820: " Gold and gilt metal, embossed, cast and chased; bloodstone egg, with enamelled mounts; rock crystal seal. During the 18th century, a fashionable woman wore from her belt a 'chatelaine', or, as it was then known, a 'chain' or 'equipage'. From the chatelaine might hang a range of different objects: a watch, seals, a box for a thimble, or an 'étui' containing sewing, writing or cosmetic implements." Link

Shagreen

2008-09-14T17:16:00.001-04:00

1680: "This small book with its matching gold stylus would have fitted into a pocket. It might have been used as a diary or a notebook. The cover is of black shagreen, a type of leather made from shark or fish skin, and decorated with round-headed gold studs. The inside cover is lined with a thick paper painted with leaves in gold on a purple ground. When the book is closed, four bands of engraved gold form a tube into which the stylus fits. The book would originally have held paper, which would have been coated so that the metal stylus would leave a track like that of a pencil on paper." Link

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

2008-09-14T16:54:00.002-04:00

1977: "This photograph is a print made in 1995 from the original transparency. This was used as an illustration in Roger Phillips's book, The Wild Flowers of Britain, which was published in London by Pan Books in 1977. Phillips pioneered the use of photography for field guides to plants. His own curiosity about plants inspired him to produce the book. He was frustrated with the standard flora or field guide that catalogues plants by family and assumes that the user has some specialist botanical knowledge.

As a photographer, Phillips set out ‘to make a book in which the visual is paramount’. He organised the contents in a way that was logical and accessible to those without any special knowledge of botany. In fact, he reverts to much earlier models such as the florilegia (decorative flower books) of the 17th century, and arranges the plants by their season of flowering." Link

Lady's Archery Score Kit

2008-08-17T22:04:00.004-04:00

1850-1860: "This is a lady's scoring kit for archery. These usually hung from a lady archer's belt together with a quiver, a spare string, and sometimes a purse containing shillings. Three golds (arrows in the centre) entitled a competitor to receive a shilling from each opponent.

The kit has three parts: The acorn-shaped cup or pot contained grease (a mixture of mutton fat and tallow) which help the finger protectors or shooting glove slide more easily off the bowstring.

The pricker is the tubular object with a sharp pointed stiletto used for marking scores onto the card disc which holds a circular replaceable printed paper bulls-eye card with circles in gold, red, white, black and blue. Players scored nine for gold, seven for red, five for blue three for black and one for white." Link

Jessie Newbery

2008-08-17T21:42:00.007-04:00

1900: "Newbery believed design the most important element in her work. Despite being highly stylised, her patterns are based on her lifelong interest in botany. Each element was reduced to a geometrical, almost abstract, shorthand which helped evolved the Glasgow style." Link

The History of Plants According to Women, Children and Students

2008-08-15T22:09:00.007-04:00

1542/2002: "For this suite of prints Borland selected 10 plates from one of the earliest and most important woodcut herbals, Leonhart Fuchs' 'De Historia Stirpium' (History of Plants), published in 1542, and reworked them as etchings. Fuchs' herbal is one of the earliest books on plants which can properly be called scientific, and it was immensely influential in medicine and botany in succeeding decades. His introduction credits the artist and engravers involved in the production of the images, but those who coloured the plates were unidentified women and children. Hand-colouring was skilled work which required careful copying from master copies or from the original watercolours. Crude, uneven or inaccurate colouring could obscure the finely-printed outlines, or misrepresent the species or variety , and thus undermine the usefulness of the image for purposes of identification. It was common practice for print publishers to employ women for this work, but there contributions were never credited.

Borland's [2002] publication of these prints reversed the usual hierarchy of credits and recognition - though a number of people were involved in the etching and colouring of the plates, only those undertaking the colouring were paid and credited." Link

B & I work in progress: Bed of Roses

2008-08-14T17:44:00.005-04:00

2008: Working on a simple 100% cotton unbleached/undyed coverlet with embroidered roses in collaboration with painter Melissa Lessmann. Above is a rose Melissa painted which we will reference for the final embroidered coverlet.

White Squirrel Wars

2008-08-12T10:05:00.007-04:00

Brooklyn, NY [Source]

2008: Running through beautiful Prospect Park a white squirrel crossed my path...

"Not one, but five towns use albino squirrels as their claims to fame, and none is particularly happy about the others. Kenton, Tennessee, accommodates about 200 of the furry rodents. Residents insist that the squirrels "have been here the longest" and claim they were left by a "Gypsy caravan" in 1869. Is Kenton, we asked, where the other towns got their white squirrels? "Well, they had to come from somewhere."

Olney, Illinois, is the loudest booster of all albino squirrel towns, titling itself Home of the White Squirrels. It scoffs at the other towns' albinos. "Most of theirs have dark eyes," they told us. The town conducts and promotes an annual white squirrel count, when locals scour the landscape inch by inch to determine population or migration trends. Roadside America." Link

Vegetable Ivory

2008-08-12T09:33:00.006-04:00

2008: Digging through the web I've just discovered vegetable ivory and the tagua nut. See links below:
"Tagua, also known as corozo, is a name used for the tagua nut in the South American rainforest. When dried out, it can be carved as an ivory replica." Source
Ecuadorian Tagua Nuts Link
Tagua: The Vegetable Ivory Substitute Link
Is it a poodle? A german shepherd? Link

Knitted Dishcloth

2008-07-27T14:01:00.001-04:00

2008: Handknitted exclusively for LABOUR AND WAIT, these 100% cotton dishcloths are very absorbent. Link

Extraordinary Commonplaces

2008-07-26T22:40:00.007-04:00

"Commonplace" is a translation of the Latin term locus communis which means "a theme or argument of general application", such as a statement of proverbial wisdom. Scholars have expanded this usage to include any manuscript that collects material along a common theme by an individual. Link

Not a dull or trite book, as the usual sense of ‘commonplace’ would suggest, but a writer's notebook in which interesting ideas and quotations are collected for further reflection and possible future use. Link Whenever they came across a pithy passage, they copied it into a notebook under an appropriate heading, adding observations made in the course of daily life. Link

This is an album of watercolours, sketches and prints by various artists, accompanied by handwritten copies of poems and extracts from letters. Link

Albino Deer

2008-07-26T21:22:00.005-04:00

1974: On December 19th of 1974, Emil Tylka spotted something very unusual as he passed along the waterways of the lower Indian Creek area. An albino white tail deer had busted through the ice and died.

Emil then made necessary arrangement to make sure that history and education would be restored, he donated the deer to the Fountain City Rod & Gun Club. Today, the deer can be seen in the Rock Bottom bar within the Monarch Tavern. Link

**
Pictures of an Albino Whitetail Deer. This buck can be identified as an albino deer and not a piebald by looking closely at its eyes and nose. The pink eye and the pink nose are a dead give-away.

The brown on the head near the base of the antlers might lead you to the conclusion that this isn't an albino buck but the color comes from the buck rubbing his antlers on trees (rubs). Link

Iris Apfel: Rare Bird of Fashion

2008-07-19T21:30:00.008-04:00

2008: "Iris Barrel Apfel is one of the most vivacious personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design and has cultivated a personal style that is both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic. Her originality is typically revealed in her mixing of high and low fashion—Dior haute couture with flea-market finds, Dolce & Gabbana striped leather trousers with a Zuni belt. With remarkable panache and discernment, she combines colors, textures, and patterns without regard to period, provenance, and, ultimately, aesthetic conventions." Link
Amazing collection currently exhibiting here. Exhibition review and interview here.

News: Refinery 29 Pipeline

2008-07-19T09:21:00.005-04:00

2008: Refinery 29 included Buttercup and Ivory in "Service With a Smirk: Cheeky Party Supplies" and I could not be happier! Thank you Piera! Link

The Utopianist Guides

2008-07-16T14:25:00.004-04:00

2008: An ever-growing source of adventure-filled treatises on taking care of your body and mind while taking care of the planet. Link

B & I collection: Classic Silverware Pouch

2008-07-15T08:20:00.006-04:00

2008: Our formal napkins with whitework embroidered numerical folding instructions are just about ready! Illustrated diagram to follow. For now click here for napkin folding instructions.

A New Hive

2008-07-11T10:46:00.004-04:00

2008: An art and design installation inspired by the worldwide en masse disappearance of honeybees. Link

Mosaic or Honeycomb Quilt

2008-07-11T10:41:00.002-04:00

1870: Quilters follow artistic patterns based on tradition and their own inherent skill. This mosaic or honeycomb quilt was an elegant one made of silk and velvet sewn onto a black background. Link

A Gustavian house

2008-07-11T08:14:00.005-04:00

1790: 1:48 scale house. Envisioned it as an imaginary Swedish house of the late 18th century, furnished in the so-called Gustavian style. A well-off widow lives here with a maid to look after the house. In the upper-class homes of the 18th century, the kitchen was often placed in a separate house, in order to reduce the risk of fire, so the little extension would be perfect for a kitchen. Link

Pop Pop

2008-07-04T19:48:00.004-04:00

2008: Have a great weekend!

News: The Kitchn

2008-07-04T19:26:00.004-04:00

2008: The Kitchn included Buttercup and Ivory in Delicious Links "How to Make Homemade Bitters"! Thank you! Link

News: Design*Sponge

2008-07-04T00:55:00.005-04:00

2008: Design*Sponge posted a generous entry on Buttercup and Ivory. Thank you Grace!! Link

Battle at Kruger

2008-07-04T00:53:00.000-04:00

Jacket

2008-06-19T08:26:00.004-04:00

1600 - 1625: Ivory silk and linen with a silver stripe. This is a rare example of an informal woman's jacket from the early 17th century. It would have been worn over a petticoat and stays, with a linen or lace collar and cuffs and a decorative coif. Length 66 cm
Width 134.6 cm (including sleeves). Link

News: Pink of Perfection

2008-06-11T00:12:00.004-04:00

2008: Blogger Sarah McColl includes Buttercup and Ivory in a post "Some Brooklyn Loves"! We heart Pink of Perfection! Link

Pin cushion

2008-06-10T23:56:00.004-04:00

19th century: Wool needlepoint and velvet pin cushion. Measures 4 1/4" x 3 1/2". Filled with white cotton rags.

Like a Moth to a Flame

2008-05-31T12:21:00.005-04:00

Virgin Tiger Moth

The Neighbor

Banded Tiger Moth

2008: Families of Moths Link

For Sale: Antique Embroidered Panel

2008-05-20T23:55:00.004-04:00

Approximately 1860: 46"x 70" Silk based thread on cotton background. Link

For Sale: Majolica Revisited

2008-05-11T09:03:00.009-04:00

1850-1899: Majolica, tree trunk pattern with flowing dogwoods. About 10+1/2 inches tall. Link

For Sale: Roseville Pottery

2008-05-11T01:21:00.008-04:00

1930s: Roseville sunflower vase. 8.5"H x 6.5"W. Link

For Sale: Bronze Equestrian Plate

2008-05-11T01:11:00.005-04:00

Date Unknown: 5 3/4" W x 4 3/8 H. Link

For Sale: 100% Hand-woven Roll of Antique European Hemp/Linen

2008-05-11T00:58:00.005-04:00

1900s: 100% hand-woven roll of antique/vintage European hemp/linen roll measuring ~*~(13.67 yards) 41 feet long by 22 inches wide (12.5 meters by 56cm). Link

For Sale: WW1 Embroidered Postcard

2008-05-06T23:55:00.005-04:00

1900s: Embroidered SILK postcard in beautiful bright colours - Made in France measures 3.5" x 5.5. Link

Spinning Wheels Quilt

2008-05-06T23:49:00.004-04:00

1930s. Link

Brooklyn Botanic Garden CherryWatch

2008-04-30T07:18:00.005-04:00

2008: The map above shows the approximate positions of every Prunus specimen in the Cherry Esplanade, Cherry Walk, Cherry Cultivars Area and Japanese Garden and its current blossom status. Also, be sure to check out the Stages in Bloom in Photographs. Link

B & I work in progress

2008-04-17T13:33:00.004-04:00

Napkin folding instructions using embroidered whitework.

Life Before Television

2008-04-14T22:34:00.005-04:00

Turn off your flat screen television and get lost in 17th, 18th and 19th century optical entertainment. Link

For Sale: Zoology of New York or The New York Fauna, Part II, Birds

2008-04-13T14:05:00.004-04:00

1844: Hand colored lithographs; 8.5" x 11.5".
The images of the birds were painted by John W. Hill and lithographed and hand colored by the Endicott firm of New York. Link

For Sale: Japanese Woodblocks

2008-04-13T13:40:00.008-04:00

1900s: Japanese woodblocks from a collection of textile designs. Printed on very delicate rice paper. Link and Link

For Sale: Vintage French Linen Kitchen Towels

2008-04-13T13:21:00.003-04:00

Date Unknown: Set of six vintage French pure linen kitchen towels. Each has a hanging loop and three red stripes down each side. Link

Whitework

2008-03-31T10:06:00.006-04:00

Early 19th century: 15 1/2 x 15 1/2 (39.4 x 39.4 cm)
Whitework sampler floral design with scalloped edges. See detail here: Link

Fragment

2008-03-31T09:41:00.008-04:00

1550–1599: Brocaded Panel Fragment, Ottoman Turkish; Made in Brusa, Turkey. Silk; 49 1/2 x 26 1/8 in. (125.7 x 66.4 cm)
The ogival lattice pattern of this luxury fabric is quite typical of Ottoman Turkish taste, as is the profusion of finely drawn tulips, rosebuds, irises, narcissi, and carnations adorning each gold-ground compartment. The gold bands forming the lattice hold scrolling vines and tulips. The purple ground of the fabric is uncommon, probably because of the costly nature of the purple dye, which was derived from murex shells. Link

Sash

2008-03-31T09:31:00.008-04:00

17th century: Mughal period (1526–1858) Islamic; Attributed to India. Silk and cotton; L. 125 in. (317.5 cm) W. 27.00 in. (68.6 cm)
One of the key elements of dress at the Mughal court was the patka, a sash or girdle tied around the waist with the ends hanging loose in front. The sash's end panels were usually decorated, since they were visible. Less elaborate decoration or even plain ground was used for the broad expanse of fabric in between, the area customarily gathered and hence concealed. To the sash were attached various accessories such as daggers and thumb rings.

Here, the decoration, applied mostly in a chain stitch, is confined to a narrow border of blossoms and reciprocal vines that outlines the piece and to the end panels, where eight delicate identical flowers gently twist and sway. Both the use of flowers in profile and the colors (red, white, yellow, and mint green) hark back to the style made popular under Shah Jahan. Link

Cassiopeia

2008-03-30T11:06:00.002-04:00

1951: Joseph Cornell diary describing and illustrating the constellation Cassiopeia. Link

Ossabaw Island dead tree

2008-03-30T11:00:00.008-04:00

1964: 1 photographic print, b&w ; 13 x 9 cm., on card 21 x 13 cm.
Photograph of a tree on Ossabaw Island Strengell used as part of [Marianne Strengell] her sources material for her textile designs. Identification (handwritten): #1 This is my favorite "Old age". Please treat it kindley. Link

The Stumpwork, Goldwork and Surface Embroidery Beetle Collection

2008-03-26T19:05:00.006-04:00

2004. Link

Square stork, parrot, swallow, butterfly and plum blossoms

2008-03-26T18:29:00.004-04:00

18th century: Embroidery. Link

Toying with Japan

2008-03-20T22:26:00.008-04:00

"1877-1942: The Ningyo-Do Bunko Database has released a collection of more than 100 albums of late 19th to early 20th century watercolour sketches of toy designs. All the images of the toy designs can be found from the sixty albums in the Kyosen Guangucho section of the website." Link

(Link and info via BibliOdyssey)

Doorstop

2008-03-20T21:28:00.006-04:00

"2008: This nautical doorstop is based on a 'Monkey's Fist' knot, which was tradtionally used to throw the moaring rope from ship to shore. Individually crafted from 18mm Manila rope by a knotting enthusiast in Suffolk." Link

Fragment

2008-03-20T13:48:00.002-04:00

"Egypt, Akhmin, Graeco-Roman period, 3th/4th century: Linen and wool, slit tapestry weave. 31.8 x 15.2 cm (12 1/2 x 6 in.)" Link

The Warping Room

2008-03-20T12:46:00.003-04:00

"1862-1963: The Warping Room of a Textile Mill at Columbia, South Carolina" Link

Native American Pinetree lazy stitch

2008-03-18T23:27:00.002-04:00

"1930s" Link

Steamer taking on ice, in Taku Bay

2008-03-14T10:19:00.004-04:00

"1895: Wilson, Veazie. Photograph album of Alaskan views." Link

Ice Falling from a Lofty Berg

2008-03-14T10:01:00.003-04:00

"1862: After icebergs with a painter : a summer voyage to Labrador and around Newfoundland / by Louis L. Noble." Link

Battle Illustrated

2008-03-14T09:52:00.005-04:00

"1613: Iroquois fort and battle. 1 plate, folded." Link

Embroidered Boa

2008-03-13T23:49:00.003-04:00

"1802: Written on border: "Boa phrigia (East Indies)." Link

Linens

2008-03-13T11:21:00.010-04:00

"undated: Linen bedsheet with embroidered initials, made by Esther Stoddard Edwards, accompanied by 19th century note about the sheet." Link

Embroidery

2008-03-12T12:13:00.003-04:00

" 1600-1630: Linen, embroidered with silks, bordered with bobbin lace worked in silver and silver-gilt thread. Handkerchiefs made of plain linen served the same function they do today, but if they were decorated they could also be carried purely as fashionable accessories and given as gifts. Amongst the textiles listed in the inventory taken on Henry VIII's death in 1547 were 15 dozen 'handkerchers garnished with golde and siluer and gold [sic] of all sortes'." Link

Fragment

2008-03-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

"3rd to the 4th century AD: This fragment is probably the muscle of an unidentified animal. Its original use is unclear but it is likely to have been intended for sinew stitching on leather items. It was recovered from the site of Loulan, which dates from the 3rd to the 4th century AD. The site of Loulan is remarkable for the carved wooden capitals, beams and balustrades that show clear affinities with western Classical decoration that filtered through Iran and Northwest India." Link

Grotesques

2008-03-12T11:47:00.003-04:00

" 1755: This print is an etching, made by using acid to burn lines into a metal plate that are then filled with ink. The plate is then pressed onto paper, which transfers the image.

Ever since the various East India Companies had begun to introduce porcelain and other exotic oriental goods to Europe in the 17th century, East Asia had fascinated Europeans.This print is the title-page to A New Book of Chinese Ornaments (1755), the first pattern book of Chinoiserie designs by the French painter and designer Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808). This print demonstrates how Pillement adapted traditional French Rococo ornament to his own idea of Chinese patterns suited to British taste. The curving foliage ladder is a typically French Rococo shape and recalls so-called Grotesques (decorative patterns full of sinuous lines, cloudy foliage, monkeys, sphinxes and other fancies) by the French master Jean Bérain (1639-1711). The wispy pavilion seemingly suspended in space, the monkey and cup of tea balanced on a branch, a Chinese man teetering on a C-shaped scroll, these are all characteristic of Pillement's work and suggest a fantastic, airy world, one that the artist delighted in portraying." Link

Collections

2008-03-12T11:28:00.005-04:00

" 1763: John Kelly was a Norwich textiles manufacturer. This book is his 'counter-part', or matching copy, of a pattern book sent to Portugal and Spain, where customers could choose from the numbered samples and have their orders prepared back in Norwich. The book shows the range of patterns and colours thought likely to appeal to the Spanish and Portuguese market in 1763, the date it was sent, and the colourful names given by manufacturers to convey fashionable or exotic novelty, like martinique, harlequin, floretta and diamantine." Link

Collections

2008-03-12T11:11:00.003-04:00

The History of Colour Systems

2008-03-10T15:40:00.006-04:00

"350BC": Link

Maps

2008-03-10T15:27:00.006-04:00

"1491: The inclusion of places from Biblical history, classical times, and mythology emphasize that the function of the map was not to provide a picture of the world as it was in 1475. Rather the map presented an interesting view of the world with some essential things that a beginning student should know about it. The time did not matter. Thus places from different eras, real and mythological, were placed side by side. The map, like most of the other illustrations in the book, was a teaching aide, presenting basic information in graphic form.

Each of the details, the place names and the illustrations as well, was meant to tell a particular tale or to serve as a reminder of some aspect of a particular place. Unfortunately no explanation accompanies the map, and we are often forced to guess at the meaning of individual details. Thus the two men talking with one another in the Garden of Eden have been explained as either a teacher and his student (school is paradise?) or a Jew and a Christian seeking together the road of wisdom." Link and Link

Nature Mort

2008-03-10T13:07:00.004-04:00

"2002: (Sam) Taylor-Wood updates traditional still life imagery. What seems at first to be a quiet arrangement of a dead hare and peach on a table starts to decompose before our eyes. Rather than attempting to capture a moment in time, the viewer is put face to face with a speeded up decomposition of the subject matter. Taylor-Wood brings home the transience of biological life, and the viewer's mortality. This work explores the issue of temporality, an idea which permeates the artist's oeuvre, where a course of action can change radically even within the space of a few seconds." Link

Lace

2008-03-10T12:04:00.005-04:00

" 1600-1650: Lace-making developed in England during the 16th century in response to the growth in personal wealth and to changes in fashionable dress. Needle lace, still then seen as a branch of embroidery, was made in professional workshops in London. But through the teaching of embroidery as a domestic skill with needle lace stitches in the repertoire, lace was also made at home, for the decoration of household linen, clothing and other objects. This piece appears to have been made without a practical purpose, but as a demonstration of the embroiderer's skill." Link and Link

Society of Blue and White Needlework

2008-03-10T10:27:00.003-04:00

"The emphasis in the Society of Blue and White Needlework was on hand production in a home as opposed to mass production in a factory setting. The Society, founded in 1896, eventually employed as many as thirty women annually. The New York Evening Post reported in 1897 that, "the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework is in perfect harmony with its environment: it is colonial and puritan, it is artistic, it is loyal to its traditions, patriotic, and there is not another like it." Link

Yarn

2008-03-09T17:12:00.008-04:00

"8th century: This ball of two-ply blue wool yarn was recovered from the site of Miran Fort on the eastern verge of the Taklamakan desert. At this site material was discovered in the remains of a fort held by the Tibetans during their domination of the southern Taklamakan in the 8th century AD." Link