 The Use of Figured Fabrics
Designs and
Motifs
The
use of figured (patterned) fabrics in the
sixteenth century is an important factor to
consider in re-creating the clothing. One of the
most important facts I've learnt about the
sixteenth century use of figured fabrics, is that
not only were "velvet, lampas, and
damask...used interchangeably for both clothing
and furnishings" (Moronato), but also that until
the mid sixteenth century, when fabrics with
small repeating patterns became fashionable, the
same large-scale fabrics were used for clothing
as well as wall coverings and uphostery. Large
scale patterns didn't entirely go out of fashion
for clothing though, at least in Venice, as can
be witnessed by the large-scale patterns depicted
through to the 1580s in sixteenth century costume
books such as Cesare Vecellio's book of costume
woodcuts circa 1590; in drawings/engravings such
as "The Venetian Ball" circa 1584, and
in portraits such as "Portrait of a
Lady" by Veronese.
Architectural
Motifs:
 (monochrome)
Italy, Early 16th Century
Brocaded Lampas
|
-"castles as architectural
motifs" were present in early
sixteenth century Lucchese fabrics |
Artichoke:
 Italy, 1480-1500
Voided Velvet
|
- originated in Asia and belongs
to both the vegetable and flower families
- usually seen as a flowering artichoke
- often seen with asters, etc, sprouting
from its top
- used as centre motif in textile design
(usually within ogival bandings) because
of its symmetry of form
|
Aster:
 Italy, 1475-1500
Polychrome Velvet
|
- came by way of Persia, where
it was "formerly the sacred flower
of the ancient pagan religious cult of
Zoroaster, from whence its name is
derived. (Tilton)
- often depicted
sprouting from the tops of the central
motif within an ogival banding
|
Birds:
 (monochrome image)
Venice, Mid 16th Century
|
- In Lucca, animal motifs passed
out of fashion at the end of the
fifteenth century but the the use of bird
motifs continued to be used there and
elsewhere in Italy up until about the mid
sixteenth century.
-
Image shows a Venetian damask of the mid
16th century featuring birds on central
triad of semi-stylised tulips.
Unsupported crowns also feature.
|
Botanical:
 (monochrome
image)
|
- after the mid sixteenth
century textiles designs were mostly
botanical and much more naturalistic than
previously
-
Image shows an early 17th century large
scale damask design featuring
naturalistic botanical forms - acanthus
scrolls forming ogival medallions.
|
Carnation (or Pink):
 (monochrome
image)
|
- hails fromTurkey, and was one
of the popular flowers used in design
-
Image shows detail of the central motif
in a Venetian voided velvet featuring a
stylised design of an artichoke
surrounded by carnations
|
Classic Vase or Urn:
 (monochrome image)
|
- became popular
in the early sixteenth century. At first
it was modest in size, but later became
larger and more elaborate, and was filled
with "floral bouquets of symmetrical
formation...invariably three flowers
forming a triad...a tall upright blossom
flanked on either side with identical
smaller flowers of the same of different
specie than the centre stalk."
(Tilton)
- by the mid sixteenth century
the triad of flowers in vase were woven
more realistically than previously, with
the rose and tulip predominant.
|
Heraldic Emblems:
 (monochrome image)
16th Century Venetian Satin Damask
(detail)
|
-heraldic emblems such as the
crown used - at first enclosing the
ogival bandings, or suspended over a pair
of confronted birds - detail image
shows a crown enclosing the ogival
bandings
|
Lace patterns:
-
Venetians were famous for their "delicate
and exquisite laces, the intricate patterns of
which (were) incorporated in their textiles"
(Tilton)
Meneaux:
 |
-looped bands resembling coils
of rope, which were "coiled or tied
in loops around the ogival
bandings". These were a feature of
earlier silks, but were still in evidence
in late fifteenth century textiles.
-could be either single or double coils- Image is of a
voided velvet circa 1500 - 1525 in which
the double coil meneaux can be seen
decorating the ogival bandings. Central
motif features a stylised rose flanked on
either side by acanthus leaves and
pomegranates.
|
Palmette:
-
much used pagan motif denoting immortality,
appropriated by the Christians as symbol of
paradise
Pineapple:
 (monochrome image)
Italy, mid 16th Century
|
- originated in South America
and reached Europe in the mid sixteenth
century
- Italians named it "Nanassa"
or love fruit.
- quite often seen as the central motif
in textile design, due to its symmetry of
form
- Image shows a large-scaled and
symmetrical Italian lampas of the mid
16th century, featuring the pineapple
motif |
Pine Cone:
-
symbol of good luck and fertility, used by
weavers in most parts of Italy, including Venice.
Rose:
|
- The rose "was the
"favourite flower and most widely
used for decorative designs"
- "adopted by the poets as
the poetic symbol of wisdom, beauty and
romance." (Tilton)
- Image 1 shows a voided velvet
circa 1500-1525 which features the
earlier highly stylised rose as the
centre motif flanked by acanthus leaves
and pomegrantes
- Image 2 shows a damask of the
16th century which features the later,
more naturalistic, rose flanked by
pomegranates. It is the centre of the
central triad motif
|
Tulip:
 (monochrome image)
Venice, Brocatelle, mid 16th Century
(detail)
|
- introduced into the western
world in the early sixteenth century by
way of Venice. "The new and strange
exotic flower soon swept into
fame....tulips were immediately used as a
floral motif in all branches of the arts,
including textiles." (Tilton) - image shows a
triad motif featuring three semi-stylised
tulips
|
|
