An Exceptional Needlework Display Album, Done By An Unidentified Master Weaver In Germany Circa 1870 -

Offering: An exceptional needlework display album, done by an unidentified master weaver in Germany circa 1870 with 78 paper weaving patterns on both sides of twenty heavy paper cards, the reverse side of each card with a mirrored variation of patterns on the facing side. The 5.12 x 3.66 inches cards, (larger than a large tarot card), are sleeved loose in the original, handmade decorated calf portfolio, the upper side decorated with a rose path woven paper design, framed by a doubled wavy zig zag and square sewn border. Patterns: Many of the patterns are of considerable interest and display side by side variations and fill contrasts with the reverse sides displaying mirrored color and direction weave variations. Forty are twills: twenty are stripes: sixteen are block repeats including eight monk's belt: two are mazes. Format: Ivory calf portfolio with fold-in spine and two silk ribbon closures with all-over silver thread edge stitching. The upper side of the portfolio is decorated with a hand sewn silver thread border with doubled wavy zig zags and corner squares with repeated line elements, the border framing the woven paper rose path pattern in the center. Size: Covers: 145 x 111 mm (5.71 x 4.37 inches) / Cards: 130 x 93 mm. Condition Summary: Untouched, in nearly good condition, half of card sides very good to nearly fine. Condition Detail: Card Sides: G+ with minor tip bends, a few card sides with light edge wear, two sides with an area of spotting or soiling, otherwise clean, card side xxiii with pencil note. 27 card sides are bright to about bright, 13 sides with color fade (from exposure to sunlight), a few with slight sun fade to small areas, eleven with significant sun fade with two faded to brown. / Edge Sleeves: Half retain their protective edge sleeves: Twenty sides lacking edge sleeves show some glue residue and markings on start and end rows (needlepoint and ink) that would otherwise be hidden. / Portfolio: Sewing: Fine / Spine: Fine / Inner Sides: Fine / Ribbons: worn / Woven paper design with color fade (exposure to sunlight) and missing parts of four warp strips from background field at inner edge, otherwise minor soiling, a few fox spots, upper side with two ring stains. Patterns in Images: Sample 6: Mirrored patterns of Sample 5: Left Side: Diamond Block Repeat with polygon field fills with alternating centers, ellipse and square. / Right Side: Square Block Repeat with rose path fills, each fill subtly different. / Sample 10: Diamond twill half brick patterns with bisecting point-to-point triangle fills, a dentate base edge on the left, and with the reverse of the right side pattern of Sample 9. / Sample 11: Left Side: half brick diamond twill with rose path fills. / Right Side: Maze. / Sample 17: Left Side: Dentate zig zag vertical stripes with small square fills. / Center: block repeat of open rose path motifs. / Right Side: a finely executed twill with rose path motifs and repeating small square border. / Sample 19: Left Side: Dentate bowtie chevron. / Right Side: Dentate herringbone stripe twill. / Sample 23: Wavy chevron stripes with small square accents, sides with stripe and color variations. / Sample 31: Dentate herringbone twills with cross and small square accents; left side with a wider stripe variation. / Sample 35: Left Side: interlocked staggered chevrons accented with rows of crosses. / Right Side: interlocking cross twill. / Sample 39: Left Side: inverted stepped wave twill with rose path fills / Right Side: Stepped stripe twill with cross fills. / Sample 40: Mirrored patterns of Sample 39. Reference: Beaumont, Roberts, Color in Woven Design, 1890. Black, Mary, The Key to Weaving: A textbook of hand weaving for the beginning weaver. Brosterman, Norman, Inventing Kindergarten. Bruce, Tina, Friedrich Froebel. Davison, Marguerite, A Handweaver's Pattern Book. Donat, Franz, Die Färbige Gewebemusterung, 1907. Hoffman, Weaving on Paper. Houze, Rebecca, New Mythologies in Design and Culture. Kastanek, Ivo, Manual of Weave Construction. Kohler, Die Praxis des Kindergartens. Kraus-Boelté, Maria and John Kraus, The Kindergarten Guide (two volumes). Marenholtz-Bülow, Reminiscences of Friedrich Froebel. Posselt, Emmanuel Anthony, Dictionary of Weaves. Wiggin and Smith, Froebel's Occupations. Windeknecht, Margaret, The Rose Path Motif: An Approach to Weaving Design. Windeknecht M., Point Twill with Color-and-Weave. Additional Images: by request.