Gown

A woman's gown of cream silk brocaded in large floral motifs with shades of green, pink, blue and yelllow. The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open down the front with elbow-length sleeves and single, scalloped and pinked sleeve ruffles. The pleated robings extend to the waist. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen. The back of the bodice has stitched pleats; the skirts are pleated into the waist seam. The gown is made of five panels of silk and the skirts are partially lined with white silk taffeta.

The gown may have been converted from an earlier version of an English gown, by removing the robings below the waist and adding the sleeve ruffles. It was altered in the late 19th century for fancy dress, a stomacher (possibly from another 18th century gown) with silver bobbin lace sewn to the right front and hooks attached to the left front. Ruffles of coarse machine-made net were added to the sleeves.