Everard Medallion Wallpaper - A

The source for this pattern is a wallpaper fragment discovered beneath a 19th century cornice in the Thomas Everard House in the historic 18th century town of Williamsburg, Virginia.

The diamond shaped design is formed by four slender scrolled leaves surrounding a foliate medallion. The scrolling and symmetry of the leaves are typical of the rococo period.

This pattern utilizes a simply color scheme and a clever printing technique known as “slip-printing”. Unlike most multicolored papers, which require a separate carved block for each color, this pattern creates a shadow effect by using only one. First the block prints the black and then, shifting registration slightly, it is used to print the white foreground image.