Gown
1780s (weaving), 1780s (sewing), 1870 - 1910 (altered)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A woman's gown and petticoat of beige tabby silk with a narrow warp stripe , brocaded small brocaded flowers in green, pink and pale blue silk.
The gown is open at the front, with shaped sleeves ending just below the ebow. The bodice meets at centre front. The bodice and skirt are cut separately and seamed at the waist. The back is made of 4 shaped pieces, tapering to a point below the waist at centre back. The bodice fronts and two peices of the back are lined and stitched together with pieced linen; the sleeves are also lined with linen. There are two bones in casings stitched into the lining at centre back. The bodice front linings are boned, with worked eyelet holes for fastening. Stitching in the lining below the neck line forms a casing on each bodice front, with narrow linen-tape drawstrings. The skirt is made of 4 widths of silk, with a partial panel and triangular gore on either side of the front. The skirt is finely flat pleated into the waist seam and held in place with stiching 3 cm below it. There is a pocket opening in each side seam.
The petticoat is made of 6 widths of silk, with pocket openings on either side.
The gown may have been updated from an earlier style; the waistseam unpicked the bodice cut from the skirt at the centre back and reconfigured. The sleeves were probably reshaped. Stitch marks on the gown front and petticoat indicate that ruchings were removed
These trimmings appear to have been put back, possibly for fancy dress in the late 19th century. A length of box-pleated silk, edged with a white silk looped fringe, trimmed with green, pink and blue floss silk knots, has been resewn to the right front of the gown skirt. Cuffs made of a reconfigured sleeve ruffle were added. A length of the silk fringe was sewn to the neckline. A flounce of box-pleated silk, edged with the fringe, was sewn to the hem of the petticoat all the way around. The waist binding of the petticoat was unpicked and reconfigured.
The facings of the gown and petticoat - probably white silk taffeta - were replaced by Conservation.
The gown is open at the front, with shaped sleeves ending just below the ebow. The bodice meets at centre front. The bodice and skirt are cut separately and seamed at the waist. The back is made of 4 shaped pieces, tapering to a point below the waist at centre back. The bodice fronts and two peices of the back are lined and stitched together with pieced linen; the sleeves are also lined with linen. There are two bones in casings stitched into the lining at centre back. The bodice front linings are boned, with worked eyelet holes for fastening. Stitching in the lining below the neck line forms a casing on each bodice front, with narrow linen-tape drawstrings. The skirt is made of 4 widths of silk, with a partial panel and triangular gore on either side of the front. The skirt is finely flat pleated into the waist seam and held in place with stiching 3 cm below it. There is a pocket opening in each side seam.
The petticoat is made of 6 widths of silk, with pocket openings on either side.
The gown may have been updated from an earlier style; the waistseam unpicked the bodice cut from the skirt at the centre back and reconfigured. The sleeves were probably reshaped. Stitch marks on the gown front and petticoat indicate that ruchings were removed
These trimmings appear to have been put back, possibly for fancy dress in the late 19th century. A length of box-pleated silk, edged with a white silk looped fringe, trimmed with green, pink and blue floss silk knots, has been resewn to the right front of the gown skirt. Cuffs made of a reconfigured sleeve ruffle were added. A length of the silk fringe was sewn to the neckline. A flounce of box-pleated silk, edged with the fringe, was sewn to the hem of the petticoat all the way around. The waist binding of the petticoat was unpicked and reconfigured.
The facings of the gown and petticoat - probably white silk taffeta - were replaced by Conservation.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Silk, linen, silk thread, linen thread, whalebone; hand-woven brocade, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | A woman's gown and petticoat, 1780s, English; Beige, figured-stripe silk, brocaded with coloured, floral motifs, Spitalfields, 1780s; altered 1870-1910 |
| Physical description | A woman's gown and petticoat of beige tabby silk with a narrow warp stripe , brocaded small brocaded flowers in green, pink and pale blue silk. The gown is open at the front, with shaped sleeves ending just below the ebow. The bodice meets at centre front. The bodice and skirt are cut separately and seamed at the waist. The back is made of 4 shaped pieces, tapering to a point below the waist at centre back. The bodice fronts and two peices of the back are lined and stitched together with pieced linen; the sleeves are also lined with linen. There are two bones in casings stitched into the lining at centre back. The bodice front linings are boned, with worked eyelet holes for fastening. Stitching in the lining below the neck line forms a casing on each bodice front, with narrow linen-tape drawstrings. The skirt is made of 4 widths of silk, with a partial panel and triangular gore on either side of the front. The skirt is finely flat pleated into the waist seam and held in place with stiching 3 cm below it. There is a pocket opening in each side seam. The petticoat is made of 6 widths of silk, with pocket openings on either side. The gown may have been updated from an earlier style; the waistseam unpicked the bodice cut from the skirt at the centre back and reconfigured. The sleeves were probably reshaped. Stitch marks on the gown front and petticoat indicate that ruchings were removed These trimmings appear to have been put back, possibly for fancy dress in the late 19th century. A length of box-pleated silk, edged with a white silk looped fringe, trimmed with green, pink and blue floss silk knots, has been resewn to the right front of the gown skirt. Cuffs made of a reconfigured sleeve ruffle were added. A length of the silk fringe was sewn to the neckline. A flounce of box-pleated silk, edged with the fringe, was sewn to the hem of the petticoat all the way around. The waist binding of the petticoat was unpicked and reconfigured. The facings of the gown and petticoat - probably white silk taffeta - were replaced by Conservation. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs B. Bertram Thomas |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.174&A-1966 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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