Piece with pheasants and exotic flowers 1765 - 1775

This textile, "Piece with pheasants and exotic flowers," was created by Bromley Hall. It presents a fascinating window into the cultural and economic landscape of its time. Made in England, it reflects the fashion for exotic, imported goods and designs during the 18th and 19th centuries. Motifs such as pheasants and stylized flowers were adapted from Asian textiles, revealing the influence of global trade on European aesthetics. This appropriation speaks to the complex relationship between colonizing powers and the cultures they exploited. The textile’s production also points to England’s burgeoning textile industry. We might ask, who made it and under what conditions? Was it intended for domestic consumption or export? Answering these questions through archival research into trade routes, manufacturers' records, and design books can help us understand the social life of this object.