Name/Title
Towel, Wallhanging, Christmas: Christmas KitchenDescription
A four-color silkscreen print on off-white linen depicting an early American kitchen, Christmas cookies being made, and finished Christmas cookies hung as decorations.
At the base of the design, a woman rolls out cookie dough while a young girl holds a candle to offer light. In her other hand is a guitar, a nod to holiday music. At floor level, a toddler in a cradle stands to see what the woman is doing.
Behind the woman is a fireplace opening with a crane holding a tea kettle and three pomanders. A decorated Christmas tree, a garland and evergreen branches tied with a bow frame the fireplace.
From an overhead beam hang iced Christmas cookies, which form an abbreviated crèche: a bell, star, angel, shepherd, sheep and swaddled infant. Two glass ornaments hint that this is a twentieth century Christmas scene.
This is one of at least two different Christmas Kitchen towel/wallhangings produced by Country Prints.
This towel/wallhanging appears on a c.1965 promotional postcard for Bromley & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, Country Prints’ New England wholesale representative to the gift trade.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Robert Darr WertRole
ArtistManufacturer
Country PrintsDate made
circa 1960Time Period
20th CenturyPlace
Location
Gill MA.Continent
North AmericaNotes
The top edge is finished to accept a dowel rod for hanging. The bottom edge is hemmed. The right and left edges are selvedges.Inscription/Signature/Marks
“wert”, and “by hand”, within the fireplace brick on lower left and right sides. “CHRISTMAS KITCHEN”, along lower margin.Material
Bleached Linen, Textile InkColors
Color
Red-Orange, Dark Green, Light Brown, Dark BrownColor Notes
Additional colors are produced by overprinting two colors.
