Rare, unusual and interesting antique costumes and textiles; for museums and collectors looking for that extra special piece, for new and established collectors and for those with a modest budget who want to adorn their person or home.

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Hand Block Printed Muslin Dress
c.1830

The fabric is glorious with good clear colours on a striped weave ground. The sleeves are huge. The dress has clearly been worn, but it appears remarkably fresh, the fabric having a lot of body. You can see where a fine brush has pencilled in some of the colours. Clearly this has been in the collection of Buckland.


Cataloguing

The fine cotton fabric woven with self coloured stripes, hand block printed with a linear design of trails of flowers and leaves, all in crimson, maroon, yellow, dark green, mid blue, mauve and black, A V shaped collar above a rouleau darted bodice with high neck, highish waist, waistband, the volumonous sleeves with a frill below the collar billowing out to 34 in; 87 cm width, caught into a deep cuff, hand embroidered loops with original brass hooks, with rouleau trimmed bands, the back opening with drawstring tapes above hooks and eyes (not original) closure, the whole bodice with rouleau trimmed seaming, the bodice lined with white cotton, inside is a cotton label Buckland J3096 the full skirt with a  pocket slit to the right hand side, deep cotton lined hem, skirt circumference 10 ft 10 in; 3.3 m.


Condition

The rouleau trim on the neck has worn so you can see the cord. A piece of material could be taken from an inside seam to conserve. The front bodice is fine. Very slight underarm pale yellow mark. As you look at the dress the right hand side front upper sleeve, just below the collar is worn 1 1/4 x 1 in; 3 x 4 cm. Because of the busy pattern this only shows when you scrutinise the dress. There is a light yellow stain to the back sleeve 2.5 x 1.5 cm.



The bodice back opening has areas of wearing where the eyes are sewn. These need to be removed as they are not original. The very back waistband is damaged  1 1/2 in; 4 cm in on both sides. The back slit below the waistband has some splitting parallel with the opening 3 in; 8 cm. 



The front skirt is coming away for the waistband and needs a few stitches, but it is not damaged. The skirt has a 2 cm dia hole. The lower hem has slight markings, but these are very feint.



The fabric from inside the cuffs could be used for conservation. Ask for lots of photos.