The Netherlands had a thriving textile printing business before the 1750s, when this fabric was produced. Interestingly this marvellous design has been made with the print running along the selvedge of the fabric. I recently had a similarly printed skirt. The magnesium stems look as if they are hand painted. Originally a hand block printed skirt from the mid-18th century, but later altered to a cape in the early 19th century. The cape was known as a shoulder cape or maternity cape.
The textile echoes the style of Indian painted chintz fabrics which were being imported into the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th century by the VOC - The Dutch East India Company. The Dutch commissioned their workshops on the Coromandel Coast to produce lengths painted with skirt borders for their home market.
The central hand block design of sketchly drawn trees and meandering stems with small flowers, between larger flowerheads, the border with a deep band of coconut palms laden with fruit, large slanting flowers, a rocky ground along the border design, the puce coloured stems with red and puce flowers, on a white linen and cotton ground.
A wide collar band with very full skirt, one seam join from top to hem and another vertical join seam on one half of the cape.
Neck to hem 35 in; 90 cm
The circumference 11 ft 10 in; 3.50 cm
10 in; 27cm repeat.
Very good.
Chintz Rosemary Crill, p 106, item 59.
https://modemuze.nl/collecties/bedcape-van-indiase-sits-1775-1800
https://modemuze.nl/collecties/bedcape-schoudermantel-van-indiase-sits-hindeloopen-1700-1750
https://modemuze.nl/collecties/schoudermantel-van-bedrukt-katoen-bruine-ondergrond-met-rozen-en-klokjes
Price: on request
Ref N°: 1520
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