Child’s Shirt

A fine example of the use of trade goods, this child’s shirt is made from hand-sewn cotton fabric decorated with German silver discs. Red and brown ribbon was sewn across the chest and along the neck and front opening. Fabric shirts and blouses were made during the early 1800s as these materials became available through trade. Many trade items such as metal buttons and discs were made of silver metal called “German silver,” a mixture of nickel, copper and zinc.