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

Flounce

ca. 1860 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Several museums around Europe have examples of straw embroidered skirt panels and flounces from the 19th century. This 'eccentric' use of straw was probably never carried out extensively, but was a well-known type of decoration on fashionable dress for about 100 years, from about 1775 to the 1870s. The embroidery on these four organdie flounces is composed of flowers, leaves and stems embroidered in satin stich shading with red, green and mauve silk, while the straw ears, stalks and edge of the border are worked in satin stitch with straw splints.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Flounce
  • Flounce
  • Flounce
  • Flounce
Materials and techniques
Silk thread and straw embroidered on organdie
Brief description
Four pieces of skirt flounce of silk thread and straw embroidered organdie, possibly made in England or France, ca. 1860s
Physical description
Four pieces of skirt flounce of silk thread and straw embroidered organdie. The embroidery is composed of flowers, leaves and stems in satin stitch shading with green, red, and mauve silk, while straw ears and stalks are worked in satin stitch with natural straw splints. The scalloped border of the flounces is edged with straw splints in satin stitch.

Two of the four pieces have a slightly larger, more spaced out embroidered pattern than the other two, indicating that originally the four pieces were made into two flounces, one above the other on the skirt.
Credit line
Bequeathed by Lady Jane Cory
Object history
Registered File numbers 1951/1519 and 1947/393.
Production
Probably professionally made
Subjects depicted
Summary
Several museums around Europe have examples of straw embroidered skirt panels and flounces from the 19th century. This 'eccentric' use of straw was probably never carried out extensively, but was a well-known type of decoration on fashionable dress for about 100 years, from about 1775 to the 1870s. The embroidery on these four organdie flounces is composed of flowers, leaves and stems embroidered in satin stich shading with red, green and mauve silk, while the straw ears, stalks and edge of the border are worked in satin stitch with straw splints.
Collection
Accession number
T.30 to C-1989

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Record createdNovember 5, 2002
Record URL
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