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Woman's scarf: "Festival of Britain; Great Exhibition"
English
1951
Object Place: England
Medium/Technique
Rayon, plain weave.
Dimensions
Overall: 81.3 x 86.4 cm (32 x 34 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf
Accession Number2011.2303
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsTextiles
DescriptionThis commemorative scarf features a roundel in its center showing the 1851 Crystal Palace and some of the surrounding grounds and visitors; it identifies the structure in small font; this round central image is enclosed in a laurel-leaf classicized orange border. Other structures from the 1951 Festival of Britain are depicted in the corners. Two of the corners have large a compass with helmeted head and an unfurling banner that reads "1951 Festival of Britain 1951", and banners in the other two corners read "1851 Great Exhibition 1851". Vivid colors including acid green, turquoise, and orange are used for the landscape that loosely fills the thin black outlines of the scene. Bulky white clouds swirl in a light green sky. The outside border of the scarf is composed of another orange laurel leaf band and solid light purple band. Label in lower right: '"Festival" by Adrian'.
ProvenanceBy 2011, Leslie Verrinder of TinTin Collectibles, London; 2011, sold by TinTin Collectibles to Jean and Frederic Sharf, Chestnut Hill, MA; 2011, year-end gift of Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf to the MFA. (Accession date: January 25, 2012)