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Description

<speak>To reduce import costs, shawls made of <sub alias="càsh-mir">cachemire</sub> began to be reproduced by European manufactures. Fabrics are manufactured on mechanical looms and then made for men's casual wear. Shown here at left is an elegant and comfortable robe, generally worn in the private rooms of the home. In the European tradition, the loose-fitting dressing gown was made from fabrics of exotic taste and often of Eastern origin. The closure of the robe is embellished with showy frogs, made with yarns that pick up the color of the fabric. The fabric is made on a mechanical loom with designs that faithfully echo the Indian tradition. In this second half of the century, the experiences of artists, artisans, and designers who offered an original and personal response to the textile debate intersected, leaving important stylistic evidence. Among these designers, one of the most famous is undoubtedly the Englishman William Morris, author of the famous fabric called "Strawberry thief," presented here on the base in the center. About this fabric, Morris, in 1883, wrote to his daughter:" I have reached a great goal by laboriously superintending the first printing of "Strawberry thief," I think we shall succeed, this time." The fabric decoration was done with complex handcrafted printing techniques, using a wooden matrix. Satisfied with this success, Morris registered the fabric with the Patent Office. This cotton fabric, designed for interior decoration , was a huge commercial success.</speak>