Design for an Embroidered or Woven Horizontal Border of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
1805â1815
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-145
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, titled *Design for an Embro or Woven Horizontal Border the "Fabrique de. Ruf"*, hails from the renowned textile hub of Lyon, France, created between 1805 and 1815 by the Fabrique de Saint Ruf workshop. Lyon was Europe's silk capital during this era, producing luxurious fabrics for fashion, furnishings, and export worldwide. As a preparatory design on paper, it served as a blueprint for embroidered or woven borders—repeating motifs essential for efficient textile production on Jacquard looms, which revolutionized weaving around this time. Such drawings were vital tools i...