Green and white
Textile fragment Unknown artist, Japanese, Japan Textile fragment, 18th century Silk, gold metallic-paper-wrapped thread; compound weave, continuous supplementary weft patterning Length: 25.4 cm (10…
RESERVED/SOLD ON LAYAWAY for M DO NOT BUY! TOTAL PRICE £850 + Shipping 1st payment due March 4 2018 £150 PAID 2nd payment due March 18 2018 £150 PAID 3rd payment due April 1 2018 £150 PAID 4th payment due April 15 2018 £150 PAID 5th payment due April 29 2018 £150 Final payment due May 13 2018 £100.00 + shipping Goods sent upon receipt of payment in full Where do I begin? The Chinese made many things for the export market and perhaps two of the most well known are embroidered piano shawls and clothing, and art deco rugs. The shawls and clothing were made of silk with silk thread embroidery and were and still are works of art. They were quite pricey at the time, so they were not a cheap export. Travelling to such places was rare (pre flying) so there was very much a caché and desire for exotic things. And this is why orientalism, exoticism and the like were such strong themes in western decor and fashion. Chinese embroidered silk jackets are just stunning. It is more common to find short jackets but there was a longer versions at the time too. And like piano shawls the imagery was themed. The most common seems to be floral or not surprisingly, Chinese life. But other subject matter did turn up. One of the most rare is Egyptian revival. I saw a brief glimpse of a Middle Eastern themed one. This one is also more rare and unusual although perhaps not as rare as Egyptian revival. This longer length coat has most definitely an Indian theme. The colours and imagery are most definitely Indian in style. The coat is a simple straight duster style with a notched lapel. It is of off white silk and is lined in off white silk satin. I hesitate to use the word ivory because sometimes ivory is thought of as a slightly yellow white and this isn't. It is an off white or bone white. There are two buttons at the front around the midriff, slightly off centre (very 20s). It hangs quite straight and was meant to be slightly loose. It is embroidered in silk thread. The colours are mostly pastel: off white, pink, lilac and turquoise. There are bits that are a mid tone dusky purple twilight colour which is just gorgeous. Honestly it is such a pretty combination of colours and definitely Indian in feel. It is completely covered in embroidery. There are flowers: cherry blossom, peonies, wisteria and more. There are birds: there are two huge peacocks (very indian) on either side of the lapel, pheasants, ducks, herons and more. There are butterflies and dragonflies. And there are buildings. These are what really make me think this has an Indian theme. The buildings are definitely shaped like Indian buildings as opposed to Chinese. The more you look at it, the more you find. This is a bit flexible in size. My mannequin measures 36-25-37 and this is fine on it, but there is a bit more room. The length down the back excluding the collar is 37 inches. The shoulders are 16 inches wide. The measurements taken flat and doubled are 40-40-42, but you do need to be a bit smaller for a nice fit. It looks nice hanging open too. It is in terrific condition. The silk inside and out is intact with no holes, tears or weak areas that I can detect. It is clean and ready to wear. There are hardly any loose threads and all the embroidery seems intact. If there is any colour fade, it is minimal an you cannot tell. There are a few things to mention though. None of these affect wearability at all and in my mind are not faults or issue even, but I must be clear. This is a hundred year old silk garment and even though it is in great shape, it needs to be treated with care. It should be stored properly away from sunlight and worn carefully. The silk may be thinning on the buttons. They are fine but may need recovering at some point. If it had a label or it could have been a hanging loop, it has been cut out. The sleeves have been sewn shorter. I never noticed until I was doing my inspection. But they have been folded under and hand sewn loosely so it is easy enough to let them back down. Normally, if I see something like this, I undo it. But because I didn't see this until after all the photos were taken, I am leaving them. The sleeve length might suit you but if you need a longer length, there is more. Measured down the outside of the sleeve from the shoulder seam, they are currently 18 inches long, but there is another 3 inches tucked inside. There is one area of marking on the edge of the right sleeve. This seems to have been mostly washed out, but there is a greyish hint still there. If there is colour bleed it is so minimal and seems to have possibly only happened on the turquoise. Very hard to see and be sure though. I am being very picky. It is a lovely coat in lovely shape. Please zoom in on the photos. I have more if needed. Layaway is available I ship tracked and insured worldwide. 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"Il n'y a en art, ni passé, ni futur. L'art qui n'est pas dans le présent ne sera jamais." (Pablo Picasso)
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