Gown thumbnail 1
Gown thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Gown

1770 - 1775 (weaving), 1770 - 1775 (sewing)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A woman's gown and petticoat of silk tobine with cannellé maroon stripes with woven pale blue spots, and white satin stripes with a narrow floral trail in green and blue. The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open at the front with elbow-length sleeves and double, scalloped sleeve ruffles. The pleated robings extend to the waist. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen; the sleeves weighted with lead. The pleats at the back are stitched down; the skirt finely pleated into the waist seam. The gown is made of 4 widths of silk, with a partial width and triangular gore making up each the skirt fronts, curving up at the hem. The pleats are held in place with loose stitching about 4 cm below the waistseam. Applied in a straight line down the front of the skirts is a ruching of the striped silk, alterating pleats with padded bows, and edged with a woven lace (braid) of white and green silk gimp with maroon floss silk. A simpler version without the padded bows adorns the robings and neck. The sleeve ruffles with a bow of the silk fabric, both edged with the silk gimp.

The petticoat is made of 6 widths of silk. A narrow white silk ribbon binds the hem. It has a box pleat at the centre front waist and flat pleats at the side and back, where it fastens. The waist is bound with a linen tape, forming the tie fastening. The front of the petticoat is decorated with a deep flounce of the striped silk, edged with the silk gimp, arranged in a serpentine line. Below it is a narrowing ruching with padded sections, also in a serpentine line.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Gown
  • Petticoat
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, silk thread, linen thread, wool, lead; hand-woven, hand-sewn
Brief description
A woman's gown and petticoat, 1770-75, English; Maroon and white striped silk tobine, green & blue flowers, Spitalfields
Physical description
A woman's gown and petticoat of silk tobine with cannellé maroon stripes with woven pale blue spots, and white satin stripes with a narrow floral trail in green and blue. The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open at the front with elbow-length sleeves and double, scalloped sleeve ruffles. The pleated robings extend to the waist. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen; the sleeves weighted with lead. The pleats at the back are stitched down; the skirt finely pleated into the waist seam. The gown is made of 4 widths of silk, with a partial width and triangular gore making up each the skirt fronts, curving up at the hem. The pleats are held in place with loose stitching about 4 cm below the waistseam. Applied in a straight line down the front of the skirts is a ruching of the striped silk, alterating pleats with padded bows, and edged with a woven lace (braid) of white and green silk gimp with maroon floss silk. A simpler version without the padded bows adorns the robings and neck. The sleeve ruffles with a bow of the silk fabric, both edged with the silk gimp.

The petticoat is made of 6 widths of silk. A narrow white silk ribbon binds the hem. It has a box pleat at the centre front waist and flat pleats at the side and back, where it fastens. The waist is bound with a linen tape, forming the tie fastening. The front of the petticoat is decorated with a deep flounce of the striped silk, edged with the silk gimp, arranged in a serpentine line. Below it is a narrowing ruching with padded sections, also in a serpentine line.
Dimensions
  • Silk, selvedge to selvedge width: 48.0cm
Credit line
Given by Eric Bullivant, Esq.
Collection
Accession number
T.164&A-1964

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest