Textile fragment (Ex-dress)

Description

Silk de chiné is a richly patterned plain weave fabric with designs that are created with colorful warp-dyed threads. Warp-dying was a technique used throughout the world, but using this particular technique with fine silk fabric was exclusive to Lyon France during the middle of the 18th century. This is an irregularly shaped piece of silk warp chine (plain weave, warp dyed silk) with a beige background and small pink and green vertical stripes every two inches. The space between these stripes is filled with a softly shaped, geometric form of warp-dyed threads (creating a floral motif) and pink and greens stripes with rust and beige running stitches. This fragment was originally a part of a dress. Six panels of fabric are sewn together and originally designed to be a pleated ruffle with a series of pierced holes and pinked (scalloped) edges. The stitches have been picked open.