{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O78872"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78872/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM7190/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM7190/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM7190","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD5556","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM8858","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78872/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78872","accessionNumber":"T.50-1953","objectType":"Furnishing fabric","titles":[{"title":"Hera","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"This fabric is a roller-printed cotton used for furnishings as curtains or upholstery. The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular motifs with designers of the Aesthetic Movement.  This textile is one of the most recognisable examples of this style. Used in patterns and for many different types of decorative work, peacock feathers were also used in their natural form for fans and dress accessories as well as hung on walls and displayed in vases in the home.\r\n\r\nThis textile was originally sold through Liberty's shop in Regent Street, London, which helped proliferate the Aesthetic style in England. It was revived and reprinted for the V&A's Liberty exhibition in 1975 and since then has become almost a trademark for the company. The production of artistic textiles in the late 19th century usually involved specialist techniques such as hand-block printing. Liberty's had this pattern printed by roller, the quickest and cheapest commercial techniques available.","physicalDescription":"Furnishing fabric of roller-printed cotton. On a dark blue ground with a design of peacock feathers in green, brown, yellow and white. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Arthur Silver","id":"A8849"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Liberty & Co. Ltd.","id":"A1527"},"association":{"text":"made for","id":"x30791"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Rossendale Printing Co.","id":"A9207"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Roller-printed cotton","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2006AM7190","2006BD5556","2006AM8858"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES309175"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Printed cotton","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Lancashire","id":"x28962"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1876","earliest":"1876-01-01","latest":"1876-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Rex Silver, Esq.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"71.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"79","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"28","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":".","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Research by Harry Lyons has shown that in 1876 ‘Hera’ was registered as a woven silk with the London  Patent Office by the store and manufacturer William Fry &amp; Co., Dublin. This firm is known to have made designs by Christopher Dresser. The same pattern was registered again in  January 1900 as a printed cotton, by the Rossendale Printing Company. \n\nThe 'Hera' design is closely associated with the London store Liberty, reknowned for its artistic fabrics, which retailed this pattern from about 1900. It may also have retailed a similar peacock feather design possibly from the Silver Studio design company in the 1880s. This sample was given to the V&amp;A by Rex Silver, and it was previously thought to have been designed by the Silver Studio in 1880.\n\nArthur Silver (1853-96) was the son of a cabinet maker and upholsterer and attended the Reading School of Art. He was then apprenticed to the furniture, wallpaper and textile designer H.W.Batley. In 1880 he set up the Silver Studio at Brook Green, producing and selling designs on paper for all forms of furnishings directly to manufacturers, warehousemen and shops as well as private clients. The studio later moved to Haarlem Road, Hammersmith. It employed a number of significant designers at the beginning of their careers including Henry Napper, Archibald Knox and later Frank Brangwyn. Arthur Silver's two sons, Reginald (Rex) and Harry also joined the Studio and Rex took over management at the age of seventeen on his father's untimely death. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Hera' furnishing fabric possibly designed by Christopher Dresser, registered  as a woven silk in 1876 by William Fry & Co. of Dublin. Registered as a  printed cotton by the Rossendale Printing Company in 1900. Retailed by  Liberty & Co. Ltd.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Harry Lyons,<i> Christopher Dresser Textiles</i> , (London 2018) pp .62-66"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Linda Parry, <i>Arts and Crafts Textiles</i> (London, 1988) plate 15"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThe peacock feather, previously thought to be a symbol of bad luck, became an icon of the Aesthetic style. It was used in all forms of decoration and symbolised the movement's reputation for decadence. This printed cotton helped to establish Liberty & Co. as one of the leading suppliers of artistic furnishings.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["T.50-1953"],"accessionNumberNum":"50","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1953,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR2243","2019LR5102","2019LV6919"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-04","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}