Lee's only did two flame stitch designs and this is one of them.* This design is Lee's pattern 633. A sample in the Williamson Art Gallery in the same colouring is ticketed 6336. The fabric appears to be embroidered in a flamestitch or Bargello design using wools, but it is in fact woven. Arthur Lee was a highly inventive manufactuerer. The company was started in the 1880s in Bolton and then moved to Birkenhead in 1909. The company was continued by Lee's three sons and six grandchildren, but closed in 1970. The American branch of the firm continues as Lee Jofa in New York.
The flamestitch design using pink, terracotta, beige, brown, shades of blue and green wools.lined with green cotton.
53 1/2 x 29 1/2 in; 1.35 x 75 cm
Excellent. Strong enough for upholstery.
*Philip Sykas kindly gave me this information. Philip curated a wonderful exhibition of Arthur Lee at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead in 2008, having catalogued the archive housed at the Gallery.
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