Red stripe gown fragment

Status

Not on view

Datec. 1785

Medium/TechniqueSilk

DimensionsOverall: 7 in. × 9 in. (17.78 cm × 22.86 cm)

Credit LinePurchased by the A. Alfred Taubman Acquisition Endowment Fund and partial gift of an anonymous donor, 2004

Object numberW-2780/A

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 evidence of seams on the top and left. The left seam is along a selvedge and secured in running stitches by thread that has faded to brown. The top is a regular seam held by backstitches with thread that has faded to pink.

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