Featured Age...origin of embroidered appliques...Thanks!

Found this framed set of 27 old appliques over the weekend.

The appliques look to be in very nice, unused condition. No water damage and any fading is minor (I'm not sure if there is fading).

Embroidered with gold, silver, and colored threads....some on velvet?

Frames measure 23" by 12" and have age to them. I didn't take them apart because they are nailed through the cardboard to the frame and I didn't want to damage anything. Back of one frame is stamped...
Fine Art Frame Shop...Grand Concourse...New York...58...NY.

Was wondering how old, where made, and is it better to sell each separately or go with 2 sets. Thanks for any inf
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Aren't they interesting. 6Rivets would probably know something.

(Love the Doctoral quote!)

 

As a person who sees almost everything within a frame... I just bought a print of all kinds of old-fashioned shoes. Hoping to sell it for Milady's walk-in closet...shoe section.

 

Lovely embroideries!

Based on the postal code, the items were framed sometime between 1943 and 1966/67.

The shiny non-metallic threads are probably silk or rayon. Rather than appliques, I think some or all may have been cut from embroidered fabric. Maybe from Asian fabric? I think they look Chinese, but of course that doesn't mean they were made in China.

Without seeing the back of the embroideries or seeing them close-up, I'd find it hard to tell if they were created by hand or machine.

 

Oh, and my grandmother lived on the Grand Concourse in the late '40s and '50s... so I may have walked right by the framing shop when we visited!

The Grand Concourse is actually in the Bronx. Not sure why they put "NY 58 NY," which would normally mean Manhattan, instead of "Bronx 58 NY"? Maybe to sound more upper end?

 

Lovely! And I agree that many (if not all) look Asian.

Being a "borough" as opposed to being a separate city makes for a quandary address-wise. Technically, all five boroughs are New York City, so I'm not all that surprised by the NY 58 NY in a post-WWII address.

 

I know at least from the '50s on, "NY [postal code], NY" was used for addresses in Manhattan. Brooklyn and the Bronx were "Brooklyn NY" and "Bronx NY". Queens is an exception since each subarea is used in the address, such as "Forest Hills, NY". I don't remember what the designation was for Staten Island.

It could be it was different in the '40s and earlier, but I'm skeptical about that.

 

Hi! I thought Asian, also. Being framed in NYC, I was thinking that they may have something to with Chinatown.

The background fabric does look like silk, not velvet.

I did take one set out of the frame. They are attached to the board by small squares of tape. The two that I carefully removed seem to have a thin paper backing...so maybe these were unused? Sorry about my pics today...my eyes are tired for some reason.

 

Looking at the back of the enlarged embroidery, it looks like hand work to me.

Interesting about the paper backing. Machine embroidery often is done with a gauzy paper backing behind the fabric, but it's under the stitches in the back, not on top of them and the exposed part is usually torn off after the stitching is done.

Maybe the paper was put there to protect the stitches on the back or to protect the fabric from the backing board?

 

After thinking about it a little more, it wouldn't surprise me if the backing paper was put on to stiffen the pieces and/or to stop the fabric and thread from fraying.

 

These look like they were used and stripped from something else.

 

sidebar....C-Girl....I so wanna brush that kitty !!

 

I had to look back three times to catch the kitty!

 

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Ah, Princess Jasmine (Jazzy Ann) does not like being brushed. She has a 'lion cut' courtesy of Mom, and will be known as 'Rags' until Fall.

 

So....is the general consensus that these are vintage Asian or Chinese American appliques (not antique), and were salvaged and framed as art? If so, should I clean the glass and frame and sell as a pair?

What key words shall i use? I'm having a hard time finding something comparable on the bay. Maybe a textile site that would help?

I'd like to ask a value (starting or fixed), but I realize some folks aren't comfortable with that or just don't know..and that's cool. I sure don't know.

I had a good tag sale/flea weekend and I want to get some of this stuff out of here asap...I have a small cottage and little storage.

Thanks, guys!

 

I think it's safe to say Asian-style, but not certain enough to say actually Asian. If I were listing it, I'd leave it up to buyers to decide for themselves.

I'd also want to look at the pieces carefully before saying that they're all hand-work.

The age is at least vintage, though possibly older. Too bad 6Rivets hasn't been posting... she'd probably nail the age and origin.

I haven't a clue about value. If they're Chinese and older, you might leave money on the table with Fixed Price?

 

If you can figure out the types of birds and flowers, I think those would be good keywords.

I tried looking for comps, too, but didn't find anything similar.

 

I think these were cut from a Kimono probably, I don't see these as appliques. Beautifully done !

 

Thank you all so much for your help! I believe I will clean them up, and sell as a set as per Silver's suggestion.