TYPOLOGY OF PATTERNS

Prepared by Jiří Vácha

 

Note: Links from each pattern type lead to an overview of all fabrics with the given pattern in this database. If the pattern is not in the database, the link is not given.

Fabric patterns have developed in stages, in which the different styles and motifs can be defined quite compactly under the following headings:

 

  1. Symmetrical patterns of the 17th century

This group of woven decors is divided into a pair of groups according to their period of production:

  • Between 1600 and 1650 (the first half of the 17th century), we still encounter decors that are clearly delineated and therefore, when repeated, form an imaginary grid in which the central motifs are inscribed. A line of various shapes is often chosen as an additional motif, whose purpose is the need to illustrate the pattern.

  • In the period 1651–1700 (the second half of the 17th century), although the delineation of the figure of the decor is still clear, there is also a certain loosening, which is supported by more expressive work with organic and floral shapes.

  1. Asymmetrical patterns 1600–1650

The use of repetition of the basic pattern figure also allows for the creation of asymmetrically conceived patterns. The resulting asymmetry defines this group of decors. The most popular details of the motifs are oblique decorative stripes, parts of exotic flowers, tulips, acanthus and palmetto leaves. The elegance of the irregularly spaced floral motifs often has an axially undulating baseline, which is complemented by gradually diverging parts of the plant with the dominant flower.

  1. Roseville patterns 1630–1670

The basic curve is considered to be the essence of this subgroup of patterns, which may only become apparent when the decoration is repeated. This blurs the transitions of the individual parts and gives the impression of a continuous figure. Fabrics with a basic figure supplemented by spiral motifs, such as branches, can be considered a subgroup.

  1. Scattered branch pattern 1660–1700

Small and medium-sized decor based on asymmetrically conceived patterns. The basic idea of the decors is one or more somewhat isolated motifs that fill the surface of the fabric. Playful variations, combining simple motifs into complex unconnected units, are the essence of the construction of the arrangement of the individual decorative parts of the pattern. The scattered branch patterns bear in their late phase the kind of stylization that is fully developed in the bizarre decorations.

  1. Bizarre decor 1690–1720

The basic principle of the pattern is based on the combination of motifs taken from exotic botany with elements of architecture and lace. The difficult-to-grasp and large-scale compositions, however, are a European artistic expression that draws only its inspiration from overseas. The first stage of the decoration can be called the early phase of the pattern, identified as 1690–1700. The peak phase of the decor falls between 1700–1705, and this period is divided into three subgroups: 1) with flowers, 2) with East Asian elements, and 3) without East Asian elements. The final phase of the decoration is limited to 1705–1720.

  1. Pointed oval 1700–1730

The marking of the decoration reflects the basic composition of the pattern, which is based on a pair of pointed ovals running in the direction of the warp. The symmetrical pattern has its axis identical to the centre of the textile roll. This is where the first mentioned oval is formed. The second one is usually drawn on the outer thirds of the fabric roll from the ideal half and symmetrically. It is only drawn when the two fixed edges are placed side by side. Another feature of this pattern is the use of exotic florals, motifs taken from lace-making and the high contrast of the decoration against the fabric base. By this definition, it resembles a bizarre decor and is distinguished for its symmetry and basic figure. The pointed oval design extends its time period into the period of bizarre fabrics and also uses naturalistic elements in its late stage.

  1. Naturalistic decor 1730–1750

The basis of naturalistic decor is the realistic representation of the subject. Individual motifs are quite realistic, but the overall composition can be irrational or even dreamlike. The level of detail in the execution of the individual elements is high and often there are colour gradients or even shading. This range of textile design can be divided into two basic groups according to the type of stylisation: 1) decor strongly influenced by the bizarre depiction of the motif, 2) decor characterised by the quality of the colour transition and the overall composition inspired by the still-life genre; the level of sophistication of the individual elements is noticeably higher than in the first group.

The Revel style can also be assigned to the naturalistic decor period, but it is not a model in the true sense of the word. This textile circle appears in a short period around 1730–1740 and is named after the French fabric designer Jean Revel (1684–1751). The Revel style refers to an element indirectly adopted from painting techniques, based on the interlocking of patterned wefts in the areas of transition of individual colour areas.

  1. Rose and wavy decorations 1740–1789

The basis of this range of fabrics is the S-curve, which is represented by festoons, lace, a tree trunk, a bush branch or a strip of fur. A bouquet, a flowering branch or a small tree is incorporated into the partially bordered part of the pattern. When the decoration is repeated in the direction of the warp, it is reversed laterally.

  1. Stripe patterns 1760–1800

The essence of this group of fabrics is the longitudinal or transverse stripe, which becomes the dominant motif of the entire pattern composition. It may form an imaginary background and be supplemented by motifs from other textile pattern groups.

  1. Minor patterns 1760–1800

In the second half of the 18th century we encounter small motifs that make up the entire pattern report. The luxury of their design shows that they are not bourgeois textiles or fabrics of lower quality.

  1. 17th–18th century damasks

This group of textiles is distinguished on the basis of the structural nature of the fabric. Many damasks are classified under other headings because of their complexity. This group is set aside for fabrics that are distinct and create a distinctive decor following damask production technology. The nature of the combination of glossy and matt surfaces allowed the creation of patterns ranging from small motifs scattered across the surface to complex combinations of geometric abstractions. The fabrics were made with sheets from a loom, and no tension system was used to construct the decoration, as was the case with the pattern-complex damasks. Patterns combining complex figural compositions can be found in the Nordic countries. Large-scale, even fanciful floral motifs are typical of our environment.

  1. Patterned velvets of the 16th–18th centuries

Patterned velvets create a decor similar to that of complex fabrics, but there are noticeable differences which can be used to define a separate group. These fabrics were often commercial imports from the countries of the Ottoman Empire, so they may be entirely non-European in origin. The high sophistication of production, combined with the greater variability of weaving techniques, gave the designer the opportunity to work with more expressive details, and these fabrics often carried a distinctive textile decor. Therefore, they can also be considered as a separate group of designs, albeit primarily separated on the basis of the fabric material.

  1. Non-European fabrics of the 16th–18th centuries

The artistic decor produced in non-European environments in the 16th–18th centuries draws on local traditions. Although French and Italian manufactures were natural sources for leading textile designers, the construction of the decor tended to be different. Historic overseas textile mills also focused on the European market to a limited extent, but despite this fact, the technology of their production was different

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).