Dress Fabric thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Dress Fabric

ca. 1928 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This length of dress fabric adorned with flower heads and fan shapes has been made into a shawl. It is made of cream silk crêpe that has been machine embroidered in cream silk floss. Rodier manufactured it about 1928. The firm had a reputation for creating eye-catching woven textures, usually in monochrome or subtle hues. They were best known for woollen goods. Rodier exhibited dress fabrics with African motifs at the Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts of 1925. This reflects the contemporary demand for so-called 'primitive' and abstract schemes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Machine-embroidered silk
Brief description
Dress fabric of machine-embroidered silk made into a shawl, manufactured by Rodier, possibly made in Lyon, ca. 1928
Physical description
Dress fabric of machine-embroidered silk made into a shawl. Cream silk crêpe embroidered in cream floss silk with an abstract design of 6 vertical chevron bands with ray devices and stylised flower heads. 4 inch wide selvage border are left unembroidered. The fabric is bound along the top and bottom edges with a slightly heavier silk crépe to make an evening shawl.
Dimensions
  • Length: 51in
  • Width: 42.75in
  • Length: 129.5cm
  • Width: 108.5cm
Style
Credit line
Given by Mrs Burder
Summary
This length of dress fabric adorned with flower heads and fan shapes has been made into a shawl. It is made of cream silk crêpe that has been machine embroidered in cream silk floss. Rodier manufactured it about 1928. The firm had a reputation for creating eye-catching woven textures, usually in monochrome or subtle hues. They were best known for woollen goods. Rodier exhibited dress fabrics with African motifs at the Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts of 1925. This reflects the contemporary demand for so-called 'primitive' and abstract schemes.
Bibliographic reference
Samuels, Charlotte. Art Deco Textiles. London : V&A Publications, 2003. Plate 37.
Collection
Accession number
T.831-1974

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Record createdAugust 15, 2002
Record URL
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