Red stripe gown fragment
Datec. 1785
Medium/TechniqueSilk
DimensionsOverall: 5 1/4 in. × 3 3/4 in. (13.34 cm × 9.53 cm)
Credit LineMount Vernon Collection
Object numberW-584/E
DescriptionThe design of this textile is done through a complicated lampas technique. The face of the fragment alternated between corduroy (the red stripes), and a white stripe bearing a floral motif--perhaps imitating ribbon. The white stripes are edged in 1/16 inch of sky blue with a vine motif of light and dark green and blue-petaled flowers with a purple center and a yellow highlight. The white stripe is 9/16 inch wide (11/16 including the blue edging), and red stripe is 11/16 inch wide. The floral motif shows a straight repeat of 1 1/4 inches. The corduroy sits over a plain weave structure and is created using supplementary warp floats. Only one weft ties down the supplementary warps, creating the thin stripe of the 7/1 corduroy. Combined with the lampas technique, this tells us that the weaver used 3 sets of warps (the maximum), and seven sets of wefts.There is a rectangular faded portion, suggesting that the fragment was framed for display. The faded portion measures 4 x 3 3/8 inches.
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