thegentlemanscloset:Yellow silk waistcoat, dating to the 1760s. Chinese silk used for export to West
thegentlemanscloset:Yellow silk waistcoat, dating to the 1760s. Chinese silk used for export to Western countries (specifically England). At Meg Andrews Textiles:Chinese embroidered garments made for the Western export market are rare.This type of top quality embroidery was done in Suzhou. The pattern for the embroidered decoration, would have been drawn in ink onto the uncut lengths of the silk satin. The silk was then embroidered in twisted silks. The waistcoat would have been made into a waistcoat in Britain. The backing is also interesting being made from a slightly glazed imperial yellow worsted. Could this be from Norwich?*I have often wondered why the Chinese only used twisted silk thread on export embroideries whilst using floss silks for their own use. An embroidery friend tells me that twisted silks are cheaper to produce, more durable, easier to use and need less experience to embroider than floss silks. This would also mean that the Chinese could produce embroideries for the Western market more quickly and therefore cheaper. Most embroidery came either through the ports of Canton or Macau, for the Portuguese market, but would have been worked all over China. The style of the embroidery on the waistcoat looks like Suzhou embroidery. This region produced fine workmanship, top quality and more expensive pieces. -- source link
#waistcoat#extant garments#embroidery#yellow#1760's#18th century#fashion inspiration