Dress Fabric
ca. 1736 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fashionable men and women displayed their taste in the fine fabrics they chose for their clothes. Until the later 17th century most silks were imported. But a silk-weaving industry developed in England, centred around Spitalfields in London, which grew increasingly successful between 1700 and 1760. Huguenot refugee families, contributing technical and business skills, played an integral part in its development.
Spitalfields weavers produced plain and patterned fabrics. Designs changed season by season, influenced by French fashions but developing a distinctive English style.
This fabric, woven in Spitalfields, is a brocaded silk, and traces of the original construction show that it was part of a gown. The technique of brocading allowed different colours to be introduced into the pattern of a fabric in specific, sometimes very small areas. It was a more laborious process for the weaver than using patterning wefts running from selvedge to selvedge, but the resulting effect could be much more varied and lively.
Spitalfields weavers produced plain and patterned fabrics. Designs changed season by season, influenced by French fashions but developing a distinctive English style.
This fabric, woven in Spitalfields, is a brocaded silk, and traces of the original construction show that it was part of a gown. The technique of brocading allowed different colours to be introduced into the pattern of a fabric in specific, sometimes very small areas. It was a more laborious process for the weaver than using patterning wefts running from selvedge to selvedge, but the resulting effect could be much more varied and lively.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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Materials and techniques | Woven silk brocaded in coloured silks |
Brief description | Three pieces of plain woven silk brocaded in coloured silks, Spitalfields, ca. 1736 |
Physical description | Three pieces of plain woven silk brocaded in coloured silks on a white ground, and the pattern bound in 1/3 twill. The silk has a white ground with two vertically intertwining stems of berries and seed heads out from which sprays of flowers lean. Brocaded on a white tabby ground in blues, browns, mauve, dark green, sage and pale yellow with a bright crimson in the berries and in combination with pale blue in some of the flowers. The pattern is bound in 1/3 twill. There is no repeat in the width, but in the length it is 1' 10.5". This silk formed part of a dress. It comprises two loom widths stitched together, with a small rectangular piece inset at the upper left hand corner. There are the marks of two darts at the top. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Given anonymously |
Object history | Registered File number 1963/444. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Fashionable men and women displayed their taste in the fine fabrics they chose for their clothes. Until the later 17th century most silks were imported. But a silk-weaving industry developed in England, centred around Spitalfields in London, which grew increasingly successful between 1700 and 1760. Huguenot refugee families, contributing technical and business skills, played an integral part in its development. Spitalfields weavers produced plain and patterned fabrics. Designs changed season by season, influenced by French fashions but developing a distinctive English style. This fabric, woven in Spitalfields, is a brocaded silk, and traces of the original construction show that it was part of a gown. The technique of brocading allowed different colours to be introduced into the pattern of a fabric in specific, sometimes very small areas. It was a more laborious process for the weaver than using patterning wefts running from selvedge to selvedge, but the resulting effect could be much more varied and lively. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | T.35 to B-1963 |
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Record created | October 31, 2006 |
Record URL |
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