THREE Antique 19thC Italian Block Printed Mezzaro Palampore Wall Hangings c1840

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THREE Antique 19thC Italian Block Printed Mezzaro Palampore Wall Hangings c1840:
$1242.11

Three glorious Genoese Mezzaro panels in the style of Indian PalamporesThey are 3 Mezzaros made into three pairs of curtains (so 6 panels in total)
Attributed to the atelier of Luigi Testori in Genova by J.C. Bordes (textile expert, hand block printer himself, and also owner of Toiles de la Montagne Noir)First half of the 19th centuryNotes: Two of the panels have been reduced in size and one of the off-cuts was used to enlarge a smaller panel, making all of them the same length. The Mezzaros measure 290cm tall by 170cm wide each, so the individual panels as used for curtains are 290 tall by 85cm wide.
Price references:1. Sotheby\'s, An Italian printed silk mezzaro \'Tree of Life\' panel, Genoese, 19th century, sold for £3,500 GBP, Christie\'s, AN ITALIAN MEZZARO OF COTTON, XIXth century, sold for £1,035, Atelier Textiles Ancien, Grand arbre de vie, Mezzaro XIXe, circa 1840, sold for €3000, Sarajo Textiles NY, Individual Mezzaro Fragment, 1st half of the XIXth century, $875, information: (from That\'s Liguria, automatic translation)HistoryTraditional mezzaro came from India. It arrived in Genoa in the XVII century and from the very beginning became very popular through the inhabitants of the city. It was used as a shawl, bedspread, tapestry and curtains. It became a symbol of wealth and authority. It was used especially by rich, Genoa’s, noble women. At the end of the XVIII century, the Genoa’s aristocracy stopped wearing it. However, it was still used as a part of traditional costume e.g. the ladies used it to cover their heads or as a shrug.
ProductionThe patterns of mezzaro were created by using the wooden moulds. The moulds were immersed in ink and used as an ink pad. In this way were created the beautiful drawings on the fabrics. When mezzari became very popular, in Polcevera Valley (the valley closed to Genoa) set up the numerous print houses. Because the technique of production came from India, the artisans that produced mezzari were called indianatori.\"