Panel

This velvet features a skyline of domed churches and bell towers, possibly referencing an Italian city such as Venice or Rome. The representation of the urban environment is unusual in a velvet design from the mid-1930s, despite the fact that other textiles and designed objects from this period employ architectural motifs. Rubelli, the Venetian firm that produced this velvet, is better known for producing patterns inspired by the past—a further indication of this example’s experimental and exceptional nature.