Jacket for a young girl, resist-dyed silk; embroidery in silk and metallic threads, China, 1880-1920

Jacket for a young girl, slightly flowing towards the hem and slit at each side, with Magyar sleeves, round high neck fastened with two black satin knots and loops, and opening all the way down the front. Made of purple silk woven with a pattern of birds and painted with detached prunus blossoms mainly in white. A round yoke at front and back and a border along the bottom and round the slits in an elaborate lobed shape, made of blue satin embroidered with coloured silks and gilt thread in satin and split stitch and knots. the design consists of flower sprays within scroll medallions at intervals, detached flowers and butterflies between, in red, white, green and black, all within border of scrolls and lotus flowers and formalised leaves. These trimming bound at the edges with black satin and bordered in their turn by a stitched or woven braid with a pattern of lotus flowers and formal motifs on an orange ground. The high round neck decorated with two narrow bands of formal leaves embroidered on blue satin and with red and white braid bound with black satin. The sleeves finished with a band of blue satin embroidered with various flowers in green, white and black and with butterflies and bird medallion in mauve, white green, red and black. The band has both edges bound with black satin. Lined with blue silk.

This striking suit would have been worn by a Chinese girl. Matching suits like this were a feature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After marriage women tended to wear a wrap-around skirt over the top of the trousers.

T.124-1961