Raudnitz, 1875
Donated by Mrs. (Ellen Drexel) Paul Denkla Mills
Originally owned by Mrs. Anthony Drexel, this silk two piece dress from the bustle period is in a beautiful shade of celadon and embellished with an appliquéd and embroidered pale peach ribbon and pale yellow rose motif. Duchess lace trims the neckline and sleeves. It features a small train the underside of which has been "protected" by a layer of plastic. Major conservation is required on this gown because of a phenomenon known as "sharded silk". Endemic to costume collections around the world, "sharded silk" refers to the custom of less than scrupulous silk mills adding lead to the silk when it was being woven, adding weight to the silk and thus increasing the cost. A more benign speculation is that metal was added to the baths of the finishing process in order to create a softer "hand" to the fabric. Either genesis has resulted in the silk of garments like this one literally sharding into the damage depicted in the detail of this garment. number 2991