Bed Curtain and Valance
1750/1800
Medium
Linen, plain weave; embroidered with wool yarn in bullion, long-armed cross, satin, and stem stiches; Roumanian and trellis couching
Dimensions
a: 213.2 × 166.5 cm (84 × 65 1/2 in.); b: 29.1 × 164 cm (11 1/2 × 64 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
86742
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The importance of beds in the colonial period is reflected in this charming curtain and valance from a set of hangings that would have been made for a four-poster bed. The set would have originally included multiple curtains and valances, a head cloth, and canopy, and possibly a matching bedcover. Bed hangings provided warmth and privacy, as well as decoration. Embroidered bed hangings were ambitious undertakings that would have been executed by the women of the household. While bed hangings wer...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...