A length of Spitalfields ‘Bizarre’ silk lampas

Circa 1707-1708, in the style of Christopher Baudouin (1662-1724) and James Leman (1688-1745)

The yellow damask ground with two parallel undulating lines of architectural motifs amid a variety of large flowers and leaves in teal, cerulean blue, coral, burgundy and white. The design is comparable to several preserved in the ‘Leman Album’ in the collection of the V & A, among them a pattern that Baudouin produced for James’ father Peter in 1707 (accession number E.1861:41-1991), and others by James Leman himself (such as accession numbers E.1861:52-1991, E.1861:86-1991 & E.1861:6-1991). The designs of these years are marked by the use, as here, of architectural elements arranged diagonally and juxtaposed with flora of a much larger scale, all influenced by the then prevailing taste for chinoiserie and japonaiserie.

110cm (43¼”) long and 50.5cm (19⅞”) wide (including the selvedges), and consisting of two joined lengths, the longest of which measures 72cm (28⅜”).