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Sack back

Sack back

  • Place of origin:

    France (textile, woven)
    Great Britain, UK (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1760 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Woven silk, lined with linen

  • Museum number:

    T.16&A-1961

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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The ‘watercolour’ effect of the silk used in this sack-back gown is achieved by a weaving process called ‘chiné’. The warp threads were wound on a frame and printed with a design. They were then transferred to a loom and the weft threads woven in, resulting in a blurring of the warp pattern. Most chiné silks were imported from France and were more expensive than silks woven in Britain.

Physical description

Dress consisting of a sack back and stomacher in pale green chiné woven silk, and lined with linen. With a pattern of vertical meandering bands of narrow pink and yellow lines around which twine trails of maroon. Between these bands are columns of red flowers on green foliage with a maroon floral spray at intervals along either side.

Sack back with an open front, and pleated at either side from the waist to take medium size side-hoops. The robings appear to fall from the shoulders into the skirt, making the front straight and flowing. A scalloped, pinked and pierced gathered band is stitched round the neck and down the sides of the bodice to broaden and meander down the front borders of the skirt. Attached to the neck and bodice edge and, at one time, to the top of the stomacher is a band of green and white floss silk braid. The sleeves have double frills which are decorated in similar fashion to the skirt trimming.

The stomacher is in two halves and is trimmed with a band similar to that of the skirt. The bodice is lined with linen.

Place of Origin

France (textile, woven)
Great Britain, UK (made)

Date

ca. 1760 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Woven silk, lined with linen

Dimensions

[Sack back] Length: 59 in centre back, Width: 9.5 in across back

Descriptive line

Dress consisting of a sack back and stomacher in woven silk, textile woven in France, dress made in Great Britain, ca. 1760

Categories

Textiles; Fashion; Formal wear; Women's clothes

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O13812
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