FIVE PAIRS OF 'HELENA' SILK CURTAINS, LATE 20TH CENTURY

Details

JOHN HENRY DEARLE (1859-1932) FOR MORRIS & CO.
FIVE PAIRS OF 'HELENA' SILK CURTAINS, LATE 20TH CENTURY
The pale blue ground with overall pattern of roses and foliage in shades of blue, peach and champagne, teal cotton lining, together with a single curtain of the same pattern
109 in. (276.9 cm.) long, 170 in. (431.8 cm.) wide, the largest pair
Designed by John Henry Dearle in 1890.

Provenance

Custom ordered by Ann and Gordon Getty from Gainsborough Silk Weaving, Suffolk, 29 November 1996.

Special Notice

Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) at 5pm on the last day of the sale. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services. Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. This sheet is available from the Bidder Registration staff, Purchaser Payments or the Packing Desk and will be sent with your invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Elizabeth Seigel Vice President, Specialist, Head of Private and Iconic Collections

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Lot Essay

John Henry Dearle (1859-1932) was a proficient designer of textiles, tapestries and stained glass. Dearle joined Morris & Co. in 1878, producing designs both in the manner of Morris, as well as his own style, inspired by Eastern aesthetics and historical textiles. As time went on his work became characterized by simplified two-dimensional interpretations of nature (Parry, pp. 70-71). Dearle took over as principal designer at Morris & Co. upon Morris's death in 1896. For further information on this design, see L. Parry, William Morris Textiles, New York, 1994, p. 160, pl. 74.

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