Leek Tanjore Lotus
1880

Tanjore Lotus inspired by Indian or Persian patterns, and probably printed with old Indian wool blocks which Thomas Wardle brought back from one of his travels. The silk embroidery using Wardle's 'Art Colours'  is on imported Indian hand woven Tussur silk. The embroidery is of a very high quality so may well have been worked by his wife's Leek Embroidery Society.* Or it may have been sold in kit form, with the design printed onto the silk, the silks and gold thread supplied, ready for a competent lady to work. It is good to see at both ends of this piece the un-embroidered printed silk, so presumably unfinished. There are ten colours of silk on this piece. Tanjore is a historic city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, now officially named Thanjavur.

Liberty's adopted the lotus flower, seen in this embroidery, as their logo, until in 1887 they used a peacock feather. 

Elizabeth Wardle who formed The Leek Embroidery Society also produced a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry (actually an embroidery) in 1885, now in Reading Museum. The original can of course be seen in the British Museum for the next few months.

From the collection of the late Brenda King, author ot the books below. 

See my ARTICLE on The Leek Embroidery Society. 

Cataloguing

Six lotus flowers coiling in flower and leafy tendrils, between two narrow borders with similar but smaller motifs, all in rich shades of rust through terracotta, apricot to rich cream, and shades of olive green 'art silks' on an undyed hand woven Tussur silk ground, each end with and the lower border with the hand block printed design. Now mounted on a cream cotton covered board ready to frame. 

8 1/ 2 x 26 1/2 in; 22 x 67 cm - the board.

Condition

Very very good. I can easily remove the embroidery from the mount if you wish.

Comments

Dye, Print, Stitch. Textiles by Thomas and Elizabeth Wardle. Brenda King p 37-39.

Silk and Empire. Brenda M King

 

Price: £500 | $670 | €580

Ref N°: 9234