item details
Overview
Unpicked for the voyage
These pieces of silk are from a partially unpicked sack-back gown. The 16 pieces include bodice fronts, a sleeve and three flounces, skirt panels and the centre back bodice and skirt panel constructed from a single fabric length, plus the sack-back length. The second sleeve, matching petticoat and stomacher are missing.
The unpicked gown pieces were bought to New Zealand by Barbara Burnett (nee Johnson) when she immigrated in 1852 from Ovington, Northumberland. According to family sources the gown, and two other 18th century silk garments, were 'unpicked for the voyage'. The dresses are believed to have been given to Barbara by her Gregson relatives, one of whom worked for the Duke of Northumberland at Prudhoe Castle. Whether the garment originally comes from the Gregsons or Percys, the Duke of Northumberland's family, is unknown. The family story related to this particular dress is that it was worn at court.
An Italianate design
The silk is believed to have been woven in Spitalfields, London. The formal Italianate design features palmettes, pomegranates, tulips, pinks, moss roses, artichokes, lilies and delicately branching coral. It has been woven in blue and ivory silk, and features brocaded flowers in tones of red and green. This type of pattern is often referred to as a 'lace' pattern.
The technical details
The fabric has been woven in left-handed twill with a blue warp and ivory weft. The central motif is complemented by a secondary design area at the selvedge. When two repeat lengths are matched at the selvedge a single motif is formed from the two mirrored halves on the edges of the fabric. The pattern repeat is 41cm selvedge to selvedge, and 106.7cm vertically. The sett is 120 ends per 2.5cm.