Gypsy Art

Wooden Wagon Art

Gypsy Vardo

Aim of Lesson

• To appreciate the art and designs of the Gypsy and Traveller community.

• To understand how the designs have been developed through the history and culture of the Gypsy and Traveller community.

• To produce a piece of Gypsy Traveller art.

Gypsy History

The Gypsy people were originally from India. Their historical journey to Britain took them over 1000 years. The first Gypsy record in Leeds is found in the Parish Register of 1572.The child was Elizabeth Smawleye, daughter of an Egyptian. Gypsies were thought to be Egyptians because of their darker complexion and foreign language.

Gypsy Lifestyle

At first Gypsies lived in tents called Bender tents. The trades for the men was mainly seasonal work. This could be harvesting crops, mending pots and pans and general labouring. The trades for women could be telling fortunes, selling lucky heather or picking wild flowers to sell.

Bender Tent

Travelling

Gypsies put their belongings on an open or flat cart. However by the 1880’s the flat cart had been developed into a wooden wagon called a vardo. These wagons were pulled by horses. Inside there would be a double bed and underneath that a single bed. The single bed would be for the youngest child. The other children would sleep outside under tarpaulin.

Gypsy Flat Cart

Interior of a vardo

Vardos

Most vardos were built between 1895-1925. One of the most famous vardo builders in Yorkshire was called William Wright who lived in Rothwell. He and his sons, Herbert and Albert made the wooden wagons, the Gypsies then decorated them. One of Wright’s vardos can be seen in York’s Castle Museum.

Designs

The designs used by Gypsies reflected the countryside they travelled through. Each design was unique to that family. Each family designed their own. Family horses were a particular favourite. The families also liked carvings of birds, flowers, fruit and animals. Some Gypsy families liked designs from Ancient Rome that included grapes, lions classical lines and scrolls.

Fruit Design

Birds

Horse Design

Flower Design

Lion Design

Buffalo Design

Designs 2

All vardos would have lines painted on them. The Gypsies called the line design “lined out.” The status of the Gypsy family could be seen by the decorations on their vardo. The more intricate the design the richer the family were. Gold leaf was also used as part of the decoration. A highly painted gold leaf vardo would cost today well over £20,000.

Lined Out

Local Gypsy Designer

• Jimmy Berry a Gypsy vardo designer and painter painted his famous cherry design in the 1960’s. His grandchildren still live in Leeds and attend local schools.

Cherry Design

Activities

• To produce a piece of art work that reflects the Gypsy and Traveller traditional art designs.