Shade, Balloon

Textile

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The Arts Club of Washington Collection

Balloon shade, MAKER?, fabric, 19??.: Pull-up window curtain, also called a "festoon curtain", is gathered at the top and hangs down in a swag.
Balloon shade, MAKER?, fabric, 19??.

Pull-up window curtain, also called a "festoon curtain", is gathered at the top and hangs down in a swag.

Name/Title

Shade, Balloon

Textile Type

Curtain/Drape

Context

This window is appropriate for this room as it was part of the original structure built in 1802. According to Thomas Sheraton's 1803 "The Cabinet Dictionary", these types of window treatments were "...still in use in bedrooms, notwithstanding the general introduction of the French rod curtains in most genteel houses".

Textile Details

Technique

Plain Weave

Dimensions

Height

47 in

Width

48 in

Depth

9 in

Location

Building

205 President's Office

General Notes

Note

"This type [of curtain] consisted o one piece of material drawn up from the sill by means of cords run through rings attached to the back of the curtain. When it was raised the fabric bunched at the top. Sometimes, depending on the fabric employed, swags or festoons were formed by the fabric between the cords, and this may account for their being described as festoon curtains also." Source: "Textiles in America 1650-1870", Florence M. Montgomery, A Winterthur Book, WW Norton & Co., New York, p.52.

Update Date

September 19, 2025