Description:
Woman's altered robe made from patterned silk woven in a polychrome supplementary weft-patterned design (brocade) on a plain weave pink ground. The garment, part of a woman's gown that would have been worn with a petticoat (no longer extant) is an important example of women's early 18th-century clothing made from drawloom woven silks in the collection of Historic Deerfield. The fabric's design consists of one flower motif about 6" x 4" that is repeated in different colorways. The motif alternates between repeats three and two times across the selvage width of the fabric, which is 29", a fact which may suggest Chinese origins. Supplementary weft pattern floats create the design, which is woven in 7 different combinations of colors. The spot motifs of floral sprays suggest either a European interpretation of Persian or Indian motifs, or a Chinese interpretation of those motifs for the western market. A swatch of a similar fabric is contained in the Richelieu collection, Bibliotheque and dated 1737. Much of the original construction of this robe remains intact. The garment is constructed as a robe a la francaise, with a pair of double box pleats anchored 6" down from the center back piece at top, and then released for fullness down the back. Inside, the bodice is lined in a white plain weave linen.The pleating of the robe skirts, which may exist in its original condition, accomodates full or partial panniers, or side hoops. There is a tag stitched inside, written in ink with "H. Hebert"; more research may suggest an explanation.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.335 |
