Dress
ca. 1808 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This early nineteenth century muslin dress is embroidered with clusters of flowers and leaves. The embroidery is worked in satin stitch, chain stitch and French knots, the design trails down across the front of the dress and around the scalloped hemline to simulate a draped tunic-style garment slit up the side seam.
The front of the bodice is made up of a panel of bias-cut muslin, which is sewn onto the skirt rather like the bib of an apron so that it can be placed in position at the neck with pins. When the pins are removed the bib front falls away to reveal linen underflaps which fasten across the bust to give support. This type of bodice construction was common during this period in this style of dress and is known as the high stomacher front.
The front of the bodice is made up of a panel of bias-cut muslin, which is sewn onto the skirt rather like the bib of an apron so that it can be placed in position at the neck with pins. When the pins are removed the bib front falls away to reveal linen underflaps which fasten across the bust to give support. This type of bodice construction was common during this period in this style of dress and is known as the high stomacher front.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Muslin embroidered in wool, in satin stitch, chain stitch, and French knots, lined with linen |
| Brief description | White muslin dress, ca. 1808, English; embroidered with cotton and red wool |
| Physical description | Dress of muslin, embroidered in wool with a design of flowers and leaves down the sleeves and across the front of the dress. The bodice back and side fronts are lined with linen and there are linen undersleeves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd. |
| Object history | This was part of a very large collection of items of dress and accessories which was given to the Museum by Harrods, the department store, in 1913. The collection had been formed by the artist Talbot Hughes, who wrote a book on the history of dress, illustrated with photographs of models wearing items from his collection. A large firm in America had offered to buy the collection and present it to the Metropolitan Museum, New York, but Hughes did not want it to go abroad. At the suggestion of Cecil Harcourt Smith of the V&A, Harrods bought it for £2,500 and gave it to the Museum for the 'public good'. Harrods displayed the collection for three weeks in December 1913. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This early nineteenth century muslin dress is embroidered with clusters of flowers and leaves. The embroidery is worked in satin stitch, chain stitch and French knots, the design trails down across the front of the dress and around the scalloped hemline to simulate a draped tunic-style garment slit up the side seam. The front of the bodice is made up of a panel of bias-cut muslin, which is sewn onto the skirt rather like the bib of an apron so that it can be placed in position at the neck with pins. When the pins are removed the bib front falls away to reveal linen underflaps which fasten across the bust to give support. This type of bodice construction was common during this period in this style of dress and is known as the high stomacher front. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.684-1913 |
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| Record created | November 27, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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