Tieback
date: label: date made
content: 20th century
label: Associated Date
content: 20th century
name: label: user
content: Tuckerman, Walter R.
label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: Tieback (part of a set 234919.0070a-g). Fabric tieback, one of a set of four in blue, black, and gold. The tieback is made from the same materials as the valances in the set. The tieback is a concave arch of fabric. Its purpose is to hold back the curtains in arranged loops. The two fabrics used are a blue and gold brocade featuring four types of flowers the largest being sunflowers and a meander "greek key" that pulls from Japanese symbolism, and a gold damask in a superposed circle or "shippo" pattern. The top edge of the tieback is decorated with a blue, black, and gold checkered braid about 7/8” wide. Below the braid is a section of the blue and gold brocade that is 1” at its thickest point and tapers to nothing about 2” away from the tip of the tieback on each side. Below the brocade is a section of the gold damask that is also 1” at its thickest point but tapers to nothing 4 ½” away from the tip at each side. The damask and brocade sections are separated by blue, black, and gold twisted cord. The gold section has 6 decorative circles that start 2 1/8” away from the tip on the left side and continue to 8” away from the tip on the right side. The circles are composed of black, blue, and gold concentric circles. The black thread on the second circle from the right is fraying in a way the obscures the right half of the circle. Below the circles is 2” of blue and gold checkered braid that continues along the bottom of the tieback. Below the braid, alternating blue and black tassels extend out from the edge. The braid is separated from the damask by the same cord as the upper section. The center of the lower braid is decorated with rosettes made from the brocade. The center of the rosettes are the same decorative circles that adorn the damask section. The front of the right tip has an oval shaped ring sewn in an inch away from the edge. The braid above it is lightly worn and the twisted cord next to it is loose. The reverse of the tieback is made from an undyed twill. There is a ring sewn in 1” away from the right edge. The left edge has about 2” of water damage.
label: Description
content: This tieback (part of a set 234919.0070a-g) was donated by the daughters of Walter Tuckerman, a prominent man in the banking, real estate, and naturalist world of Maryland in the 20th century. In his early adulthood, he was part of the Alaskan Border Survey Commission in 1909. His letters home are full of optimism and wonder at the wilderness of Alaska, he even received the honor of a mountain named after him, Mt. Tuck. After he returned from Alaska, he founded The Bank of Bethesda in Bethesda, Maryland. Tuckerman also led the development of the nearby town of Edgemoor, Maryland. His daughters donated the drapes with a note stating that they came “from our parent’s house” (page 178 of scanned accession file). It is likely that the house in question was the family home called Tuxeden in Bethesda, Maryland. The drapes feature two different patterned silks. One pattern, the superposed circles or “shippo” is a symbol that represent the treasures of Buddhism, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl, and carnelian. The second symbol is a meander pattern represents the marvels of the natural world. There is no reference that the silk was made in Japan or for a Japanese audience, or if they are a European interpretation of Asian aesthetics. Trends of Chinoiserie and Japonaiserie were prevalent in the 20th century. It is certain that Walter Tuckerman was an avid traveler, and in his letter to his friend Mr. Sampson in September of 1909 he expresses a wish to visit China and Japan someday (page 104 of scanned accession file). Whether it was intentional or not, it is poetic that a man who had such a love of adventure and the outdoors should have drapes in his house that celebrate the wonders of the natural world.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: used
content: United States: Maryland, Bethesda, Edgemoor
label: associated place
content: United States: Alaska
topic: label: associated subject
content: Exploration and Discovery
label: associated subject
content: Banks
label: associated subject
content: Symbolism
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. E. Tuckerman Biays, Mrs. Draper L. Kauffman, Mrs. Robert G. Metters, Mrs. Willard Triest, and Mrs. Robert H. Williams
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.234919.0070d
label: accession number
content: 234919
label: catalog number
content: 234919.0070d
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tieback
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: blue, gold, black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: meander, greek key, sunflower, shippo, checkerboard (overall pattern)
label: Physical Description
content: brocade, damask, braid (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 1/4 in x 28 in x 3/4 in; 26.035 cm x 71.12 cm x 1.905 cm