This woven silk textile was intended for use as curtaining or furniture upholstery. According to the records of Warners, this silk was made for the London decorating firm of Collinson & Lock. Godwin worked for this firm from July 1872 for about three years. His diaries mention the production of designs for Warners over a two-year period from September 1874 to October 1876.
This design shows E. W. Godwin's mature, Anglo-Japanese style. The main circular design of magnolia blossom comes directly from a Japanese crest. The original design for this silk is owned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, and the V&A has a drawing by Godwin of this particular motif (museum no. E.280-1963).
The name of the pattern, which was probably invented by Warners for identification purposes, is misleading. The silk is not a brocade but has a strong technical similarity to a brocatelle, which is a sumptuous, rigid, ribbed fabric suitable for battening to walls. It is possible that the name derived from a misreading of the abbreviation 'Butterfly Broc' by which it was listed in the firm's weaving records.Furnishing fabric 'Butterfly Brocade' of Jacquard-woven silk, possibly designed by Edward William Godwin, made by Warner and Sons, Spitalfields, 1874-1876Furnishing fabric of Jacquard-woven silk. With a main circular design of magnolia blossoms coming from a Japanese crest. The fabric has a strong technical similarity to a brocatelle.British Galleries:
SILK FURNISHING FABRICS FROM JAPANESE DESIGNS<br>
Motifs in both of these silk designs were taken from a book illustrating crests (mon), similar to this one, that were used by individuals and businesses in Japan. They were popular and widely available in Victorian Britain. E. W. Godwin, who designed 'Butterfly Brocade' and was probably also responsible for the 'Dahlia' pattern, is known to have owned a copy. [27/03/2003]