Textile, Silk Brocade, Blue

Date1750-1780

MediumSilk

DimensionsW" 18 7/8"; L: 39"; Repeat (vertical) 19 1/2"; (lateral): 9 3/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1970-42

DescriptionBrocaded silk: blue silk taffeta (tabby) ground; the leafy meander, produced by a flush effect in white, entwines naturalistic floral sprays brocaded in ivory, coral, rust, shaded rose, salmon-pink, shaded bright-greens; pattern turns alternately right and left and repeats twice in width of fabric. Selvedges: 1/8" white tabby.Label TextWhile surviving gowns suggest that Virginia women were partial to light colored grounds on their silk brocades, darker colors were also popular in the mid-18th century as backgrounds for woven floral sprays.