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

Gown

1690-1700 (weaving), 1700-1720 (made), 1870 - 1920 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Part of a woman's gown of white silk damask brocaded with silver-gilt thread, unlined. The pattern of the silk is an undulating floral, strawberry and foliage motifs brocaded with gilt florets.

The gown, now loose and sleeveless, has been altered later and no longer reflects its original construction. Old pleat marks at the top of the fronts and back suggest the silk has been recycled from an earlier garment. It is constructed of two widths of silk at the back and one width at each front, with narrow, pieced gores at each side seam. The armholes are bound with the white damask. There are two shallow box pleats at the back neck and two pleats on each side of the front. The neckline was later bound with figured white and maroon silk to create a drawstring.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, silk thread, silver-gilt thread; hand woven damask and brocade, hand-sewn.
Brief description
Part of a woman's gown, 1700-1710, of white silk damask, brocaded with silver-gilt,1690-1700, England, altered 1870-1910.
Physical description
Part of a woman's gown of white silk damask brocaded with silver-gilt thread, unlined. The pattern of the silk is an undulating floral, strawberry and foliage motifs brocaded with gilt florets.

The gown, now loose and sleeveless, has been altered later and no longer reflects its original construction. Old pleat marks at the top of the fronts and back suggest the silk has been recycled from an earlier garment. It is constructed of two widths of silk at the back and one width at each front, with narrow, pieced gores at each side seam. The armholes are bound with the white damask. There are two shallow box pleats at the back neck and two pleats on each side of the front. The neckline was later bound with figured white and maroon silk to create a drawstring.
Dimensions
  • Shoulder to hem length: 147.0cm (approx)
  • At hem width: 107.00cm (approx)
  • Width of silk, selvedge to selvedge width: 51.7cm
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Given by Bobby and Deborah Carter
Object history
Given to the V&A in 1969, along with T.120-1969, T.120A-1969 and T.122-1969, the gift of Bobby and Deborah Carter [64/1383]. These items were initially lent in 1964, but later were given to the Museum. The family from which they originated were the Hodges of Slowwe House, Arlingham, Gloucestershire.
Collection
Accession number
T.121-1969

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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