Description:
Doll's gown (or possibly a child's gown) made of striped silk taffeta. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, children’s dress was almost identical to that of their parents. Boys wore similar clothing styles as girls (though boys were sometimes distinguished in portraiture by the addition of sash or cuffed coat sleeve, and a gown opening down to the hem), until they were put into breeches between the ages of four and eight. This rare survival could have been worn by either a boy or a girl, and descended in the donor's family from the New Bedford, Massachusetts area. The silk fabric represents a significant outlay of money, and a wealthy family’s investment in their child’s appearance, although the fabric may have been repurposed from an earlier (adult) garment. The gown’s full skirt would have been supported by a stiffened petticoat.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2007.18 |
