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 a rectanuglar 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. Two 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.