Raymond Duncan (American), Scarf, about 1920. Printed and painted cotton; 69 in x 42 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Gift of Alex George, 1947.15.

length: 69 in, 175.2600 cm; width: 42 in, 106.6800 cm

Raymond Duncan

Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion

Textile Arts and Fashion-American

Like his dancer sister, Isadora, Raymond Duncan was fascinated with ancient Greek culture. To finance projects for his school of Greek art and craft, founded in Paris in 1911, he designed silk and cotton scarves and panels that his followers executed. They block-printed the outlines of the motifs and then added color by applying natural dyes with a brush. Two Parisian boutiques, staffed by women wearing ancient Greek dress, sold these scarves to fashionable ladies.

Collection of Alex George, Denver, Colorado; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 1947.

• "Time Warp: Historicism in Textile Design," April 24 - October 10, 1999 (DAM)
• "Cover Story," May 17, 2013 - April 27, 2014 (DAM)