- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Blouse front. [JP 22/10/2004]
- Long description
- Blouse front with Maltese lace frills and hand-drawn and embroidered muslin insertions, mounted alternately on net. With three cotton thread loops and three buttons made of cotton yarn wrapped around small metal rings at the back. [JP 22/10/2004]
- Geographical reference
- England Essex
- Cultural groups
- English
- Date / Period
- Date made: 1800-1900
- Date collected
- By 1948
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 1948
- Materials and processes
- Material Muslin Textile, Material Lace Textile, Material Metal, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Yarn Plant, Process Embroidered, Process Woven, Process Stitched
- Dimensions
- Length 430 mm, Width 460 mm
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1949.9.130
- Research and responses
Maltese lace: type of guipure lace (in which the design is held together by bars, or brides, rather than net) introduced into Malta in 1833 by Genoese laceworkers. It was similar to the early bobbin-made lace of Genoa and had geometric patterns in which Maltese crosses and small, pointed ears of wheat were incorporated. After 1851, when it was shown at the Great Exhibition, Maltese lace was widely [used in England?] [Encyclopaedia Britannica online] [AP 26/09/2006]
OED online: Muslin: 1. a. Any of various lightweight cotton fabrics in a plain weave. Also: a piece of such fabric; a dress or other article of clothing made of muslin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MuslinMuslin is a type of finely-woven cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. The first recorded use in England was in 1670. It was named for the city where it was first introduced to them, Mosul in what is now Iraq, but the fabric originated from Dhaka in what is now Bangladesh. [1]
Muslin is most typically a closely woven unbleached or white cloth, produced from corded cotton yarn. "Sheeting" is the name for wide muslin. It is often used to make dresses or curtains but may also be used to complement foam for bench padding. In clothing, muslin breathes well, and is a good choice for hot, dry climates.
The word "muslin" is also used colloquially. In the United Kingdom, many sheer cotton fabrics are called muslin, while in the United States, muslin sometimes refers to a firm cloth for everyday use. In British slang, muslin used to refer to women or femininity, while in nautical slang, muslin can refer to a vessel's sails. [AP 26/09/2006]
1949.9.130
Blouse front. [JP 22/10/2004]
1949.9.130
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