Raymond Duncan (San Francisco, 1874 - 1967, Paris)
Scarf with Design of Tree Trunks, about 1919
Printed and painted silk tabby, 58.4 x 57.8 cm (23 x 22 3/4 in.)
This square silk scarf is painted in various shades of brown. The pattern is in squares and rectangles, starting with a center square. The center square is tan, with faint vertical lines running through. It has a thin dark brown border around it. Around the square is a band of a repeating diamond pattern with a dot in each center, also with a thin, dark brown border. Around the pattern of diamonds is a wide band of squares with a repeating design of tree trunks and leaves in shades of brown on a tan background. Around the repeating tree trunks pattern is another band of repeating diamond shapes, exactly like the one close to the center of the scarf. Just above the diamond pattern in the lower corner to our right is the signature Raymond Duncan.
Tapestry Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.