Millefleur with Medallions
1540-1560
Medium
Wool, cotton, and silk; slit, dovetailed, and double interlocking tapestry weave Two distinct areas of weaving are present. The central field, the entire top and bottom borders, and the lower medallion are woven with wool warps in slit and (borders only) double interlocking tapestry weave. Warp: Count: 4 warps per cm; wool: S-ply of three Z-spun elements; diameter: 1.0–2.0 mm Weft: Count: varies from 12 to 30 wefts per cm; wool: S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.5–1.6 mm; silk: S-ply of two Z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.6–1.0 mm The entire left and right borders, the narrow spiral border on all four sides, the border corners, and the upper medallion are woven with cotton warps and multicolored wefts in slit, dovetailed, and double interlocking tapestry weave. Warp: Count: 4–5 warps per cm. Cotton: Z-ply of three S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.7–1.5 mm Weft: Count: varies from 9 to 19 wefts per cm; wool: S-ply of five to seven S-ply of two Z-spun elements; S-ply of twelve elements of ten Z-spun and two S-ply of two Z-spun elements; three to five yarns of S-ply of two Z-spun elements; pairs of S-ply of four S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.8–2.0 mm; wool and silk: paired yarns of S-ply of two Z-spun wool and Z-ply of three S-twisted silk elements; three yarns of two S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and one S-ply of two Z-twisted silk elements; three yarns, two S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and one Z-ply of two S-twisted silk elements; four yarns of three S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and one Z-ply of two S-twisted silk elements; four yarns of two S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and two Z-ply of two S-twisted silk elements; four yarns of two S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and one S-ply of two Z-twisted silk elements and one Z-ply of two S-twisted silk elements; diameters: 1.0–1.8 mm
Dimensions
161.4 × 304.2 cm (63 1/2 × 119 3/4 in.)
Classification
weaving - tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
110653
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...