Brocaded floral damask gown fragment

Status

Not on view

Date1740-1755

DimensionsOverall (H x W Framed): 14 5/8 in. × 14 1/8 in. (37.15 cm × 35.88 cm) Other (H x W fragment): 10 7/8 in. × 9 1/2 in. (27.62 cm × 24.13 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Calvert Magruder, 1974

Object numberW-2644

DescriptionThe main ground structure of the fabric is held in a 4/1 satin weave. Light, floral patterning interrupts the ground by way of complementary weft floats. The ground patterning shows a highly stylized flower, and contrast is created by filling the float outlines with a balanced plain weave. This achieves a sort of damask effect, but the satin floats are not present on the reverse of the plain woven section, which indicates that the weave simply changes to a plain weave in those sections.

While the design repeat seems fairly small for the period, this can be deceiving as it is not a true repeat. The form shows a straight repeat, but the colors are not consistent, indicating that what appears to be two repeats are in fact all part of a single repeat. This color change is evident in the blue bell flowers of the main motif (which change to yellow in the subsequent form), and the blue roses in the semicircular motif (which change to pink in the subsequent form.

The main design motif consists of pink carnations (showing pink, white, and brown yarns), blue or yellow daisies and bellflowers (showing light and dark blue, brown, and white, or light and dark gold/yellow, brown, and white), stems, and flowers (showing dark and light green, brown, and white. It is completed using a discontinuous weft brocade.

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