Table Scarf
Item
Title
Table Scarf
Creator
Angelina Hurelle
Date
1903
Medium
Cotton
Credit line
Collection of Drs. Cynthia and Timothy McGinn
Description
This is one of three table scarves that here were part of a larger suite of textiles that Angelina G. Hurelle made for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition that Gustav Stickley held at his Craftsman Building in Syracuse from March 23 to April 4, 1903. Although this exhibition later travelled to Rochester, it is unclear if these textiles were part of the second show as surviving photographs do not illustrate them. Hurelle made at least three of these scarves which, in addition to appearing in the exhibition, were illustrated adorning Dining Table (no. 631) in Cabinet Work from the Craftsman Workshops in 1905.
In contrast to the relatively simple needlework of the Ellwood example and of Stickley’s later textile productions, these examples demonstrate the complexity of stitching and manual dexterity that a professional embroiderer was capable of. Composed of a repeating stylized floral motif, Hurelle’s masterful stitch work is most evident in the varied infill of the stylized blossoms and the subtle depth she gave to the composition by overlapping the edges of the petals and varying the thickness of the stitching. While the composition appears, at first glance, to be symmetrical subtle differences in the ground line and treatment of the flowers testify to the handmade nature of these textiles.
Although Stickley is heralded as a leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement, much of the decorative work he showed in his 1903 exhibition was produced by foreign makers. Hurelle’s textiles, in addition to pottery by Grueby and Newcomb, allowed him to emphasize the manner in which American producers were part of a broader transatlantic dialog concerning design reform.
In contrast to the relatively simple needlework of the Ellwood example and of Stickley’s later textile productions, these examples demonstrate the complexity of stitching and manual dexterity that a professional embroiderer was capable of. Composed of a repeating stylized floral motif, Hurelle’s masterful stitch work is most evident in the varied infill of the stylized blossoms and the subtle depth she gave to the composition by overlapping the edges of the petals and varying the thickness of the stitching. While the composition appears, at first glance, to be symmetrical subtle differences in the ground line and treatment of the flowers testify to the handmade nature of these textiles.
Although Stickley is heralded as a leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement, much of the decorative work he showed in his 1903 exhibition was produced by foreign makers. Hurelle’s textiles, in addition to pottery by Grueby and Newcomb, allowed him to emphasize the manner in which American producers were part of a broader transatlantic dialog concerning design reform.