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  • Vintage repetitive wallpaper sample depicting a dense, ornate, blue and cream pattern showcasing paisleys and intricate stylized floral motifs on a rich tan-toned base.

Atelier Boulard

Domino Paper (Papier Dominoté)
Now On View

Description

Maker

Title

Domino Paper (Papier Dominoté)

Year

1810-1812

Medium

  • Ink-printed on typographical press

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Ink-printed on typographical press

Geography

Place Made: Rouen

Dimensions

43.2 x 33.7 cm (17 x 13 1/4 inches) (length)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

34.867

Type

  • Wallcoverings

Projects & Publications

Publications

  • Journal

Historic Wallpapers: 1750-1949

  • Books

On the Wall Contemporary Wallpaper

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Art of French Wallpaper Design
Nov 15, 2024 – May 11, 2025
Historic Wallpapers, 1750-1949
Jan 17, 2003 – Apr 06, 2003

Label copy

This printed paper, known as Dominos, is among the earliest examples of wallpaper. It could either be pasted sheet by sheet onto a wall or could serve smaller-scale purposes as endpapers for books or linings for wardrobes, drawers, or boxes. Because it could be printed in quantity, it was a less expensive decorative wall treatment than the traditional textiles or paintings. Initially, it tended to serve as ornament in humble settings. By the turn of the 18th century, however, Dominos had evolved into valued decorative papers used by every social class.

Much of the inspiration for patterned Dominos came from printed cotton textiles imported from India and China, primarily through French Mediterranean ports. The exotic foliage of the Museum’s Dominos recalls Indian chintz textiles. When a number of Dominos were pasted to the wall, they mimicked rooms decorated entirely with fabric. Such “chintz rooms” were fashionable in the early 18th century, but because the fabric was imported and often heavily taxed, French-produced paper provided a reasonably priced alternative. Single-sheet Dominos adorned walls until continuous rolls of printed paper were developed and sold in the late 18th century by large manufacturing firms.

Use & Feedback

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Atelier Boulard, manufacturer
Domino Paper (Papier Dominoté), 1810-1812
Ink-printed on typographical press
43.2 x 33.7 cm (17 x 13 1/4 inches) (length)
Mary B. Jackson Fund 34.867

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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