Chinese Export Dress Lengths
1770s

Beautiful design with unusual colouring. These three panels were from the skirt of an 18th century gown.  I am selling them seperately.

From the collection of the late Mrs June Jeffreys (1928 – 2016) who married George William Eyre Jeffreys (1931 - 2019) in 1960. The house Newhouse, Redlynch, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, has been in the family for 400 years and many of the dress collection was handed down through Mr Jeffrey’s family.

Amongst the dress collection were a number of Chinese dress lengths, embroidered for the Western market, dating to around 1770-80s. These would have been brought back as yardage by the East India Company and made into gowns. The most likely owner would have been Elizabeth Matcham (neé Peirce)((1729 -1803) who married Simon Matcham (1711-1776), a Superintendent of the Bombay Marine of the East India Company*, and senior member of the Council of Bombay, who died in India in 1776 leaving his family very well off.  Elizabeth Peirce, a daughter of Hugh Bidwell, also a merchant of Bombay, returned to England the following year, after her husband’s death, with her son George (1753-1833). It is known that Elizabeth liked buying beautiful items, including textiles.   George entered the East India Company in 1771 and became their resident at Baroche in Gujarat, India.  He married Catherine (Kitty) Ann Nelson (1767-1831), Lord Nelson's beloved sister. On Elizabeth's death the texiles and dress would most likely have been passed to Kitty. 

 

Cataloguing

The rich ivory satin ground with trailing arcs of buds looping over sprays of flowers and fruits, in two shades of redcurrent pink twisted silks.

43 x 29 in; 1.09 x 74 cm wide.

Repeat 27 1/2 in; 70 cm.

Condition

Very very good. No stains or damage. Just fold lines parallel to the selvedges where the panels would have been hand sewn together as part of the skirt.

Price: on request

Ref N°: 8621