Caption

Kontusz belt, Royal Silk Manufactory in Grodno; silk fabric and belt manufacture; 1768–1780. Solid, reversible kontusz belt with sewn-on gold fringe. Heads: two asymmetrical floral bouquets floral branches arranged antithetically surrounded by ribbon festoons at the top and floral garlands at the bottom. Center: transverse shelves alternating motifs of floral projections and two intertwined ribbons fastened with flowers. Borders: vertical and horizontal floral twig motif with bends featuring small baskets with flowers; checkerboard border. Predominant colors: blue gray-blue background of heads and shelves, silver, salmon/pink, beige, brown, and green; silver background on the edges with similar ornament colors. Weave density approx. 44/25 x2. Flower-basket motifs on the edges are characteristic of belts from the Grodno workshop. Date: 1768–1780. Place of origin: Grodno Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Poland/Lithuania. Dimensions: length 344 cm, width 28 cm., Two long vertical fabric panels lie side by side against a pale background. The left panel shows a patterned textile in muted green with horizontal decorative bands and a floral motif toward the lower section, bordered by a pale ornamental edge and finished at the bottom with a fringe of beige threads; the surface has darker stains and some small tears. The right panel is a narrower, faded blue-gray silk-like fabric with visible creases and irregular darker waterlike stains forming wavy lines, a faded floral pattern near the bottom, and worn, frayed edges with some small holes. The visible colors include green, blue-gray, beige, pale gold, muted pink, and brown.

Credit line

Photo12/Liszt Collection

Reference

LZT26A14_206

License type

Rights managed

Available size

81.5Mb (8.1Mb) / 15.8in x 20.0in / 4745 x 6000 (300dpi)

Keywords

Kontusz belt Royal Silk Manufactory Grodno silk fabric belt manufacture 1768–1780 Solid reversible kontusz belt sewn-on gold fringe Heads two asymmetrical floral bouquets floral branches arranged antithetically surrounded ribbon festoons top floral garlands bottom Center transverse shelves alternating motifs floral projections two intertwined ribbons fastened flowers Borders vertical horizontal floral twig motif bends featuring small baskets checkerboard border Predominant colors blue gray-blue background heads shelves silver salmon pink beige brown green silver background edges ornament colors Weave density approx 44 25 x2 Flower-basket motifs characteristic belts Grodno workshop Date Place origin Grodno Grand Duchy Lithuania Poland Dimensions length 344 cm width 28 cm Two long vertical fabric panels lie side side pale background left panel patterned textile muted green horizontal decorative bands floral motif lower section bordered pale ornamental edge finished fringe beige threads surface darker stains small tears right panel narrower faded blue-gray silk- fabric visible creases irregular darker waterlike stains forming wavy lines faded floral pattern near worn frayed edges small holes visible colors include blue-gray pale gold muted pink brown.