Valance

Object Name:

Valance

Object ID:

1975.056.03

Date:

1785-1950

Description:

Valance, copperplate print, brown and white, of "Penn's Treaty with the Indians." Four sections showing bottom of scenes only pieced together. Bound and lined with cotton; very sculptured shape. Lining as pieced of scraps is front. 38" at top, 44" at widest, 10" deep.

Bed valance, a modern construction from four pieces of late 18th-century brown-on-white copperplate print (possibly "Penn's Treaty with the Indians"--check) or multiple prints. The shades of brown from piece to piece differs, indicating that these are either separate prints, or the valance was constructed of recycled fabric, which is definitely the case, as the pieces are machine-stitched together. The linen backing and cotton tape binding are also more recent than the print. The top has been turned back to make the valance narrower. Though the elements of the print that can be seen are limited, the depictions provide interesting detail. On the left piece is a partial scene of a Native American woman nursing a baby strapped to a cradle board. The woman's dress is embellished with designs indicating a northeastern woodlands native heritage. The next two pieces depict a quiver full of arrows, and the lower form of a person kneeling and holding a large chest, while another native figure with naked ankles drags a peace pipe on the ground. The right-most piece depicts a sailor in loose slops, wearing a horizontally striped vest and a tie-dyed bandana around his neck; his sleeves are rolled up, showing him to be a laborer, and the long ends of his garters dangle around his lower legs. He rests a foot on a large iron-bound chest. The valance is cut with a scalloped design and scrolled ends.

Material:

Textile
Cotton

Dimensions:

W-9.75 L-45.25 D-10 inches

Credit Line:

Gift of William L. Warren

People:

Penn, William, Warren, William L. (1912-1998)