A couple of Cultural items

[Steve T]

The postman just gave me a little packet from Germany, it feels like there is a textile inside

[Steve T]

OK now out of the packet and freshened up a little for presentation. A very nice little tapestry. Superb quality, natural fibres of wool and cotton and in lovely condition, a 100% guaranteed postwar produced original, not a fake, not a knock off, so don't you dare even think about calling my little beauty such names!

Inexpensive at £0.87 but at the same time extremely valuable, for it is this little piece that helped me find the website containing the information on the Kunstweberei that I posted the website link of above. This little beauty effectively told me what to search for

If you have looked at the Kunstweberei website you will recognise the label, name and motif.

[Steve T]

..

[Thorsten B.]

So this is a tapestry that could have been produced still in 2000 right before they closed their doors.

I assume from the first glance this motif may have been introduced in the 80ties or 90ties - at least it is not in any pagan style and no runic symbols do appear at all.

Furthermore it is still unknown if this Kunstweberei indeed ever was a DHW supplier once or not.

I can very well imagine they were but have no evidence for stating so as of yet.

At least they obviously made tapestries in one and the same construction method for decades, if not throughout all their production time - probably due to wishes of the orderer or just weight of the piece in specific.

Finally the price was more than a bargain, I assume. ;-)

Nice piece!

[Thorsten B.]

For comparison I made some new pics of another piece which I showed here already.

This is not in the Beiderwand/Jacquard style at all and obviously painted by hand and - as visable - only from one side, of course.

Since the tapestry is as heavy as a feather there was no need for any loops and due to the construction of the used stuff (wool or linen?) also no seams holding the piece.

Just a wooden panel fixed with some kind of glue - works very well up to today.

[Thorsten B.]

Due to the cute motif obviously a piece made for decorating a nursery.

The DHW offered such pieces but is this a DHW piece?

I don´t know - but what I do know is that one can detect within the motif the pattern used is identical to the one depicted in the SS-Family book.

That makes it special for me and the colours are in perfect harmony with original DHW furniture pieces and spend a very homy atmosphere - can´t be better, can it?

[Jack83]

Very nice Thorsten and Steve! Both look great.

[Capt. R]

So this is a tapestry that could have been produced still in 2000 right before they closed their doors.


Furthermore it is still unknown if this Kunstweberei indeed ever was a DHW supplier once or not.

I can very well imagine they were but have no evidence for stating so as of yet.

Thorsten,
1. It would be good news to link this weaver with DHW. Maybe some contractual documentation or some type of purchase orders might be uncovered to establish a link?

2. Regarding the evidence issue you mention: Steve showed that postcard of the interior of the museum giftshop and the large tree of life pattern appears to be on the wall from what I can tell viewing it on the computer screen - so maybe Steve can affirm, deny, or tell us whether it is even discernable at all?

But if it is what does this suggest to you?

thx

P.S. This has been a good thread because we are all actually learning I think and debate is good for long term collecting!

[Steve T]

Thorsten,
1. It would be good news to link this weaver with DHW. Maybe some contractual documentation or some type of purchase orders might be uncovered to establish a link?

2. Regarding the evidence issue you mention: Steve showed that postcard of the interior of the museum giftshop and the large tree of life pattern appears to be on the wall from what I can tell viewing it on the computer screen - so maybe Steve can affirm, deny, or tell us whether it is even discernable at all?

But if it is what does this suggest to you?

thx

P.S. This has been a good thread because we are all actually learning I think and debate is good for long term collecting!

Don,

Its a Tree of Life for sure, also moving the eye left of the Tree of Life past the green door there is also the small tree of life, the pattern of Thorsten's known later production, post war small Tree of Life, it also looks blue too.

[Steve T]

I've had a chance to take a closer look at my little country style tapestry from the Kunstweberei. It is around 1980 production according to the seller.

I looked over it with a UV light, nothing glows, except the label. Its made in natural wool and cotton.

I also looked over it with a 10X loupe. Around the edge on the reverse there is what looks to be a nylon, like a fine fishing line, reinforcing edge in a machined line. Not immediately obvious but once you know its there you can rotate the piece in the light and get a reflection off it and spot it with out the loupe.

Here's a shot through the 10X loupe.

[Capt. R]

Thanks Steve for the confirmation of the card and mention of the blue one.

Is the "fishing line" only around the edges and not within the piece itself? does it go around all 4 sides?

[Etienne B.]

Hi Steve,

Just compared my tapestry with your item.
It has all the same features including the fine red thread that is in the pattern.The nylon-like thread I have not yet discovered.Boy ,do I feel stupid..........

[Steve T]

Thanks Steve for the confirmation of the card and mention of the blue one.

Is the "fishing line" only around the edges and not within the piece itself? does it go around all 4 sides?

Don,
The synthetic 'fishing line' thread runs the length of the first and last weft threads. I guess its to provide some support on the edge of the warp, so it runs vertical on each side of the piece and only visible from the reverse of the piece, no evidence of it on top and bottom.

No, its not in the weave, just an edge strengthening/weft gathering/support thread.

[Steve T]

Hi Steve,

Just compared my tapestry with your item.
It has all the same features including the fine red thread that is in the pattern.The nylon-like thread I have not yet discovered.Boy ,do I feel stupid..........

Etienne, don't feel stupid, why should you. If you had found the synthetic thread then that would be a concern for sure. Finding a similar construction means what? Remember even supposing your piece is from the same firm, this firm was set up in 1909.

[Steve T]

Etienne, don't feel stupid, why should you. If you had found the synthetic thread then that would be a concern for sure. Finding a similar construction means what? Remember even supposing your piece is from the same firm, this firm was set up in 1909.

Just a thought, have a look at my picture above, the close up of the label. See the white cotton thread, the only reason it is there is to affix the label. Have a look around the edges and see if there is any evidence of such a thread line, a remaining cut thread for example that has no reason to be there. Where a label could have been attached.