The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London.
The V&A museum is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Its collection spans 5,000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day and cover disciplines including ceramics, glass, textiles, costume, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints, printmaking, drawing and photgraphs from all over the world. Humphries Weaving use the V&A as source of inspiration and to carry out textile research. We have also been involved in a number of restoration projects within the gallery, including beds, furniture, interiors and clothing.
Norfolk House Music Room
The Norfolk House Music Room, part of the British Galleries.
Norfolk House, demolished in 1938, originally stood in St James’s Square, London and was built by architect Matthew Brettingham as the London seat of the Dukes of Norfolk. It was built between 1748 and 1752 in the Palladian style and was said to have been modelled on the Banqueting Hall, London built by architect Inigo Jones.
The paneling and the ceiling were carefully removed and transported to the V&A museum to be rebuilt in their entirety. Humphreies Weaving supplied deep green pure silk damask for festoon window drapes recreated from a description within the house inventory of 1756.
Project reference: 1703
No. 11 Henrietta Street
The Parlour from No. 11 Henrietta Street, The British Galleries.
Built between 1727-1732 The Parlour from No. 11 Henrietta Street in London is an important example of an architect-designed reception room from a smaller London house of the mid-1720s. It is the only surviving example of a town house interior designed by the architect James Gibbs.
The interior was deconstructed and reassembled in the British Galleries in the V&A. Humphries Weaving were commissioned to make silk lute in deep blue for festoon window drapes.
Project reference: 1710
Armchair for Eaton Hall
Armchair from a set at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, on display in the British Galleries.
The Armchair is dated to 1823 and is thought to have been designed by Augustus Charles Pugin. It upholstered in Humphries Weaving crimson and gold silk damask.
The red and gold upholstery of this chair is based on the original scheme, using fragments of material found on the chair and John Buckler’s illustration of the drawing room published in his Views of Eaton Hall (1826).
Project reference: 1471
Bergere Drawing Room Chair
Bergere Drawing Room Chair designed by Thomas Chippendale (1772), on display in the British Galleries.
This chair was made for the Drawing Room in David Garrick’s London house, which formed part of the Adelphi development designed by the Adam brothers. The chair is dated to 1772 and is thought to have been designed by Thomas Chippendale and made by Haig & Co. in London.
It was re-upholstered in a narrow woven pure silk green damask. The colour for the fabric was developed to match the green and white decoration of the chairs.
Project reference: 1727
Thomas Chippendale Chair
Thomas Chippendale Chair (1754 – 1780), on display in the British Galleries.
Side chairs were designed for dining or playing at cards. When not in use, they were placed against the wall, where the elaborate backs created a decorative effect. The chair was originally at Down House and then then the Huntington Art Gallery.
Humphries Weaving supplied narrow woven all wool crimson damask for upholstery of a Thomas Chippendale Chair.
Project reference: 1620
Robert Adam Designed Chair
Robert Adam designed armchair made by Thomas Chippendale (1764-1765), on display in the British Galleries. This chair comes from a suite of furniture that is thought to be the only furniture documented to be made by Thomas Chippendale to a design by Robert Adam; a collaboration of two of the most influential characters in 18th century decorative arts.
Humphries Weaving supplied a bright crimson 25 inch wide pure silk damask for re-upholstery of the armchair which is numbered ‘VII’ from the original collection of eights armchairs and four sofas. The furniture was designed for Sir Lawrence Dundas for his London home 19 Arlington Street.
An example of a sofa from the suite can be found at The Museum of fine Arts Houston.
Project reference: 640
Elbow Chair in the Style of Robert Adam
Elbow chair in the style of Robert Adam (1790), on display in the British Galleries.
Narrow woven deep green watered taboret stripe in silk and linen for the upholstery of a Robert Adam style chair.
Project reference: 1440
Gilt Chair for Goldsmiths Hall
Gilt Chair for Goldsmiths Hall (1834-1835), on display in the British Galleries.
The seat furniture, which was covered with crimson damask, included three window seats, two sofas, four large armchairs and eight small chairs, as well as the fly chairs.
Silk and wool crimson damask for upholstery of a gilt chair from a suite at the Goldsmiths Hall, London.
Project reference: 1398
Fly Chair for Goldsmiths Hall
Fly Chair by Philip Hardwick (1834-1835), for the Goldsmiths Hall Court Dining Room, also on display in the British Galleries.
The seat furniture, which was covered with crimson damask, included three window seats, two sofas, four large armchairs and eight small chairs, as well as the fly chairs.
Crimson silk and cotton damask for upholstery.
Project reference: 1105
Empire Style Couch
Early 19th Century Empire Style Couch, on display in the British Galleries.
Crimson and gold damask for early 19th Century Empire style couch made for the drawing room at Kinmel Park Denbighshire (1786-1813) in silk and cotton.
Project reference: 440
The Great Bed of Ware
The Great Bed of Ware (1590), on display in the British Galleries.
The Great Bed of Ware is probably the single best-known object in the Museums collection. The large oak carved four poster bed measures over 3 metres wide and is said to have accommodated up to four couples.
Humphries Weaving supplied natural dyed pure silk broadloom silk lute in pale shot salmon/green for the embroidered quilt on the Great Bed of Ware.
Project reference: 1706
The Garrick Bed
The Garrick Bed by Thomas Chippendale (circa 1755), on display in the British Galleries.
This four-poster bed takes its name from the celebrated actor and theatrical manager David Garrick (1717-1779). He commissioned it for his Thames-side villa.
Humphries Weaving were commissioned to make pure silk broad loom lute linings in sage green.
Project reference: 1636
Queen Victoria’s Ivory Throne
Fabric restoration for Queen Victoria’s Ivory Throne.
Humphries Weaving were asked to supply pure silk, hand cut velvet in Windsor green. This was woven for the restoration of the Throne which went on public display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2010.
The Throne is no longer on public display due to the sensitive nature of the use of now prohibited ivory.
Project reference: VELV
