Woman's stomacher of linen, 1700-1720, English; couched and embroidered with silver and coloured threads

Woman’s stomacher of linen, triangular tapering to a narrow, spade shaped end. The ground is entirely covered with laid and couched silver thread. The stomacher is embroidered with coloured silk twist in satin and chain stitches with French knots, in a floral design. The stomacher is backed with linen and the edges are outlined with cream silk grosgrain ribbon,with 3 loops of ribbon on each side for fastening. The bottom of the stomacher is outlined with a double row of couched silver cord. There is a narrow silver woven lace, with a few remaining spangles, along the top edge.

A stomacher is a decorative panel of fabric, usually triangular in shape, worn to fill the space between the front edges of a woman’s open gown. The stomacher formed part of the ensemble of fashionable women’s dress from the 1680s to the 1780s. This example is richly embroidered with coloured silks and metal thread in satin stitch, chain stitch and French knots. On either side of the stomacher, the ribbon tabs would have been attached with pins to the edges of the gown. The narrow dimensions and tabbed lower point of this stomacher suggest it was made between 1700 and 1720.

T.404-1977