A popular item from the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection was the inspiration for a stunning piece of art adorning a Padiham gable wall.
Artist Chris Butcher transformed the blank canvas wall on Church Street, into a mural called ‘Up the Hill’, representing the town’s industrial heritage as a textile producer.
The artwork features two tram cars, with passengers on board and surrounding the trams are examples of textile work inspired by our very own Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, on display at the nearby Gawthorpe Hall.
So, what do we know about the item on which Chris based his artwork?
The peacock panel was embroidered by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth as a present for her parents, Ughtred and Blanche, for their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1921.
She chose cloth of gold for the background fabric and had it framed in an ornate gilt frame made by the Medici Society.
This panel of embroidery is worked in a technique known as laid work where long stitches are laid down first to fill in the shapes and then secured with smaller couching stitches.
The design of a vase, exotic flowers and a pair of peacocks was sketched out by Rachel’s cousin Valerie, Lady North and is taken from one of the carved and pierced parapets up in the galleries of St Mark’s Cathedral, Venice.
Rachel worked on this piece while she was recovering from typhoid fever and perhaps this is why she chose the laid work technique as it allows large areas to be covered relatively quickly.
The embroidery uses many colours of silk floss thread that Rachel arranged carefully to create beautiful gradients and is further embellished with gold metal threads and iridescent beetle wings on the peacocks’ tails.
Linda Drury, director of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, said: “The piece is on permanent display in Gawthorpe Hall and is one of the most iconic pieces in the collection, so it’s really fitting that this was the piece chosen to be represented in the mural.
"It also has a strong link to the Shuttleworth family, who were so instrumental in supporting the communities of Padiham and Burnley.
“The peacock as a symbol of resurrection is also quite fitting with the regeneration of the high street and we are so happy that Chris chose this for his eye-catching mural.”
The mural was brought to life with the help of the Padiham Gable Art Project Steering Group including local businesses and groups, Mid Pennine Arts, Padiham Archives and Gawthorpe Hall.
It forms part of the Gable Arts Project, which aims to bring the vibrant history of Padiham to life as part of the wider £1.4million Townscape Heritage scheme funded by the National Lottery Fund.
The Gable Ends Project was supported by Burnley Council, Padiham Town Council, local businesses and residents.