Textile, Devil Damask

Devil Damask is a cotton and polyester machine-made lace with a large-scale symmetrical pattern not unlike many early 18th-century silk damasks in our collection. At first glance, it appears to be a typical “central vase with flowering branches” design. The face and horns of a devil appear, however, where the vase should be. And, there may be demons lurking among the flowers. This textile is not only a superb example of modern lace, but also a strong modern counterpoint to a very traditional type of floral design used broadly in textiles and wallcoverings over several centuries.
The Glasgow design firm, Timorous Beasties, has been of great interest to both the Textiles and Wallcoverings departments since its founding in 1990. The museum acquired three Timorous Beasties textiles that same year. The founders of the group, Paul Simmons and Alistair MacAuley, met as students of textile design at Glasgow School of Art. As Timorous Beasties, they have consistently produced exceptionally innovative work in the field of surface design. Depicting uncompromisingly contemporary images on traditional textiles and wallpapers, their provocative style was once described as “William Morris on acid.” In 2005, Timorous Beasties was the recipient of the Scottish Style Award for Outstanding Contribution and, in 2006, received the Elle Decoration Award for both Best Textiles and Best Carpet.

Textile, Devil Damask; Produced by Timorous Beasties (United Kingdom); Scotland; 98% cotton, 2% polyester; H x W: 320 × 149.9 cm (10 ft. 6 in. × 59 in.); Gift of Timorous Beasties; 2007-40-2