1735, Guangdong

1735, Guangdong

Identifier
T.593:1 to 5-1999
Acquisition
Purchased with the assistance of the Elspeth Evans Bequest
Collection
Material
Depiction
Production time
Production place
Type of object

Description

Unique A sack and petticoat of Chinese painted silk. The painted design is very typical of Chinese export art of the Qian Long period (1735-1795). The sack has elbow-length sleeves, each with three sleeve ruffles. The back has two, double-box pleats; the front fastens with a buttoned stomacher. Both the sack and petticoat are decorated with applied, gathered fabric. There are three additional fragments, two of which have been remade in the 19th century for fancy dress use. Sack and petticoat worn by Mrs Garrick, English, 1760-65, made of Chinese painted silk, 1735-60 This is a fine example of a woman's formal gown from the early 1760s. It illustrates the popularity of imported painted silks and the influence of Chinoiserie on dress. The width of the silk, 28&1/2 inches or 72.5 cm, and the use of coloured threads in the selvedge indicate that the silk was woven in China. It was most likely painted there, in a very westernised floral pattern. The sack and petticaot for a wide square hoop indicates formal daywear. The buttoned stomacher and waist seam are typical of the 1760s while the triple sleeve ruffle is more typical of the 1750s and therefore reinforces its formality. Object Type
This elegant robe and petticoat are fine examples of a woman's formal daywear in the early 1760s. In cut, fabric and design they were the height of fashion.

Materials & Making
The pattern on the silk is hand-painted. The fabric was first sized with alum to make the paint adhere. Next the design was drawn freehand in ink or silverpoint. A variety of pigments were used, including white lead or a chalk ground for the highlights. The robe and petticoat are hand sewn with silk thread and trimmed with gathered strips of the hand-painted silk.

Time
The style and design of this ensemble exemplify the Rococo fashion in dress. The pale yellow silk painted in a variety of bright colours reflects the Rococo palette, while the scalloped sleeve cuffs and gathered robings create a decorative surface pattern. The sack was a style of gown with the fabric at the back arranged in box pleats at the shoulders and falling loose to the floor with a slight train. It was worn with with a petticoat over a wide square hoop.

Places
The silk was woven and painted in China. The width of the fabric and the use of coloured threads in the selvedge (the cloth edge) differ from European silks. The floral pattern shows the influence of Western design, indicating that it was made expressly for the European market. British Galleries: Eva Garrick was keenly aware of fashion and chose hand-painted Chinese silk for her dress and Chintz for her bed-hangings.These textiles complemented the European taste for Chinoiserie furnishings. The malachite green and cochineal red on yellow ground are also typical of contemporary Rococo dress, as is the triple sleeve ruffle. [27/03/2003]