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Not currently on display at the V&A

Gown

1760s (weaving), 1775-1780 (sewing), 1870 - 1910 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A woman's gown of maroon satin with a supplementary pattern weft in a design of undulating vertical floral stems in green, red, yellow and white. The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open at the front with elbow-length sleeves. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen. The bodice front meet at the centre. The pleats at the back are stitched down. The gown is made of 4 widths of silk with a triangular gore and a partial width of silk on each side of the front. Lines of fading and a hem to the right side along the front edges of the gown indicate that these originally had a wide woven lace (braid) down the front and along the hem of the front panels.

The gown has been considerably altered for fancy dress. The waistseam was unpicked, the centre back panel cut at the waist and the skirts regathered and coarsely stitched. The sleeves have been altered, possibly a cuff removed and the sleeves folded up to shorten them. Casings and drawstrings were added to the gown fronts, as well as darts, hooks & eyes at the front edges. These were reshaped for a late 19th-century corset, and a band of silk sewn to the left front.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, silk thread, linen thread; hand-woven, hand-sewn
Brief description
A woman's gown, 1780-85, English; Maroon silk satin, with coloured floral trails, 1760s, French; altered 1870-1910
Physical description
A woman's gown of maroon satin with a supplementary pattern weft in a design of undulating vertical floral stems in green, red, yellow and white. The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open at the front with elbow-length sleeves. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen. The bodice front meet at the centre. The pleats at the back are stitched down. The gown is made of 4 widths of silk with a triangular gore and a partial width of silk on each side of the front. Lines of fading and a hem to the right side along the front edges of the gown indicate that these originally had a wide woven lace (braid) down the front and along the hem of the front panels.

The gown has been considerably altered for fancy dress. The waistseam was unpicked, the centre back panel cut at the waist and the skirts regathered and coarsely stitched. The sleeves have been altered, possibly a cuff removed and the sleeves folded up to shorten them. Casings and drawstrings were added to the gown fronts, as well as darts, hooks & eyes at the front edges. These were reshaped for a late 19th-century corset, and a band of silk sewn to the left front.
Dimensions
  • Shoulder to hem at centre back length: 158.0cm (approx)
  • Waist width: 13.5in
  • Circumference:
  • Bust under armholes circumference: 91.5cm (approx)
  • Silk, selvedge to selvedge width: 51.3cm
Credit line
Given by Miss Elizabeth Sumpter
Collection
Accession number
T.188-1953

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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