Art Institute of Chicago

Two Joined Panels of Brocaded Yellow Furnishing Wool

England, Probably Norwich

Date

c. 1720s

Medium

Wool, worsted, damask weave; brocaded

Culture

England

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Patterned woven wool fabrics were employed for both upholstery and clothing. The city of Norwich, in Norfolk, is commonly known as the primary center for weaving wool in the 18th century. Fine woolen textiles were the backbone of the English economy for hundreds of years, from the late middle ages until well into the 19th century. Britain’s North American colonies provided a ready market for luxury goods like these patterned wool fabrics. In fact, a dress in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg is made of a very similar textile (inventory number 1988.223).

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