Panel
1860/80
Silk and cotton, twill weave with supplementary pile warps forming cut pile-on-pile voided velvet; band of partially uncut pile
262.8 × 71.2 cm (103.5 × 28 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
This velvet features a design with two different lengths of cut pile on a voided ground. At the bottom of this length, there is a band woven with the same material and in the same pattern, executed with cut and uncut velvet. The uncut loops look markedly different in comparison to the cut pile, a distinction that highlights the way in which designers and weavers of velvet can exploit and manipulate velvet piles to create subtle or dramatic effects.
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