Description:
Linen table runner woven with white warp threads and slightly larger, off-white weft or filling threads and each of the narrower ends decorated with an abstracted (woven-in) view - an apple tree in a landscape on one end and an apple on a branch on the other end; and the body of the piece decorated with four dragonflies. This piece was made by Luanna Franklin Thorn (1874-1965) of Deerfield, the wife of Dr. Edwin C. Thorn (1874-1920). Born in Guilford Vermont, Luanna Franklin was educated at North Adams (Massachusetts) Training School for Nurses and moved to Deerfield in 1899 when she married Edwin Thorn. By 1903, she was weaving textiles as a participant in the town’s Arts and Crafts movement, using a four harness loom to weave all kinds of textiles for home and apparel and yarns she dyed herself. Both Edwin and Luanna Thorn were very involved with the Deerfield Arts and Crafts Revival movement, which was first formalized as the 'Deerfield Society of Arts and Crafts' in 1899 and then changed to 'Deerfield Industries' in 1907. Luanna Thorn had her "Deerfield Handicrafts Shop" in the rear of the house (see sign, HD 85.029). This table runner contains several hallmarks of Thorn’s work, including a loose ground weave, bold and abstracted use of color, as well as the familiar motifs of a fruit tree and dragonflies. While the piece was still on the loom, Thorn used a needle to incorporate the supplementary weft threads forming these motifs. The fruit on the trees is hand knotted. Other Deerfield-area women also included dragonflies in their designs such as Mrs. Edward Hawks (who lived in the Sheldon House) and Marian Childs whose drawstring bag in the collection of Memorial Hall Museum contains dragonfly motifs. The linen yarns in both the warp and weft directions are spun in a Z twist; 3/4 hem on each shorter end; the piece is a selvage width.
Label Text:
Table Runners Luanna Thorn (1875-1965) Deerfield, Massachusetts, 1900-1950 Unbleached plain weave linen weft, cotton or linen warp, and polychrome wool, acrylic, or rayon supplementary wefts Gift of Florence Thorn, 1985.082 and 1993.850
Born in Guilford Vermont, Luanna Franklin was educated at North Adams (Massachusetts) Training School for Nurses. She moved to Deerfield in 1899 when she married Dr. Edwin Thorn. By 1903, she was weaving textiles as a participant in the town’s Arts and Crafts movement. On a four harness loom, she wove all kinds of textiles for home and apparel, using yarns she dyed herself.
These table runners contain several hallmarks of Thorn’s work, including a loose ground weave, bold and abstracted use of color, as well as the familiar motifs of a fruit tree and dragonflies. While the piece was still on the loom, Thorn used a needle to incorporate the supplementary weft threads forming these motifs. The fruit on the trees is hand knotted.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Cotton; Linen; polychrome; Wool Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+85.082 |
