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Bear (Furnishing Fabric)

A work made of linen, plain weave; screen printed.

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  • A work made of linen, plain weave; screen printed.

Date:

1950-55

Artist:

Designed by Paul Thiry (American, 1904–1993)
Produced by L. Anton Maix, Inc. (American, 20th century)
United States, New York, New York

About this artwork

Paul Thiry was born to French parents in Nome, Alaska. Trained as an architect, he was most active in the state of Washington. His design Bear liberally reinterprets formline images created in Indigenous communities of the Northwest Coast. Although the screen-printed lines are heavy and lack the sinuous elegance achieved by Native artists, they embrace midcentury modern aesthetics that were popular in furnishings during this period. The kinds of formline images that may have inspired this textile appear on this làkt or bentwood box by James Johnson (Tlingit, Ch’áak’Dakl’aweidi Clan).

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Paul Thiry (Designer)

Title

Bear (Furnishing Fabric)

Place

New York City (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1950–1955

Medium

Linen, plain weave; screen printed

Inscriptions

Inscription (on left selvage): L. ANTON MAIX FABRICS N.Y. CITY ©; (on right selvage): "BEAR" by Paul Thiry PAT. REP. 29"

Dimensions

95.3 × 138.5 cm (37 1/2 × 54 1/2 in.); Warp repeat: H.: 75 cm (29 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Christa C. Mayer Thurman Textile Endowment

Reference Number

1996.491

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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