Tool (for textiles) (Textile printing block)

Description

This print block was once used for printing on cotton textiles by Massachusetts textile manufacturer Pacific Mills. It is constructed of a narrow, rectangular block of wood with raised metal strips, which form a floral design, at the top. Slight indentations, for handholds, are carved out of the sides, and a piece of leather is tacked to the underside to protect the wood from hammer blows. This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017.