Share your favorites on Show & Tell

Antique Embroidered Chinese Silk Gown ca 1907

In Asian > Chinese Clothing and Textiles > Show & Tell.
cshapiro's loves4 of 42Large Bencharong Covered UrnMy sent bottle?
13
Love it
2
Like it

cshapirocshapiro loves this.
GeodeJemGeodeJem likes this.
kyratangokyratango loves this.
auraaura loves this.
ho2cultchaho2cultcha loves this.
ElisabethanElisabethan loves this.
tom61375tom61375 loves this.
aeonaeon likes this.
Woman34Woman34 loves this.
Moonstonelover21Moonstonelover21 loves this.
lisalisa loves this.
toolate2toolate2 loves this.
filmnetfilmnet loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
See 13 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 12 years ago

    antiquariu…
    (136 items)

    I love this amazing textile. It is a Chinese silk gown/jacket dating to about 1907. It was collected in China by Florence ("Flossie") Maude O'Donnell, one of the first women to graduate from Dalhousie University with a medical degree. Upon graduation, and being a single woman, she took off to China to work as a doctor and missionary, as Canada has set up missions there at the turn of the century on the opening up of China. She travelled around there with a single big trunk (which I also own) for 5 years before returning. The gown is made of silk and almost every square inch of it is embroidered. It is lined with torquoise plain silk. It once had rabbit fur around the collar and bottom, and possibly the cuffs, but there are only small fragments remaining. There are three circles of embroidery on each side, and each us unique, like they tell a story - I would love to know what the story is. I'm not sure, but maybe it is a Chinese kimono. When this was given to me some 30 years ago, I thought immediately that I would have it framed in a frame that had glass on both sides, so that I could turn the frame and sometimes I would see the front and sometimes the back. But then I read that light degrades silk, and this thing already looked fragile to me. So I folded it up in a nice cotton cloth and put it away in the dark, which to me is quite sad. I really don't know what to do with this thing - I love it but I cannot really enjoy it by taking it out of the trunk for a little while once or twice a year. Is this thing valuable too? I value it because of its history and beauty, but I really don't know what to do with it.

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

    logo
    Chinese Clothing and Textiles
    See all
    antique chinese silk embroidery Qing China Asian
    antique chinese silk embroidery Qin...
    $1,175
    Antique Chinese Embroidered Blue-Ground Gauze Summer Dragon Robe Qing 19th C.
    Antique Chinese Embroidered Blue-Gr...
    $1,500
    Antique Chinese Robe 5 Claw Dragon Polychrome Embroidery Red Silk Vintage
    Antique Chinese Robe 5 Claw Dragon ...
    $127
    Antique Silk Chinese Hand Embroidered Piano Shawl Menton YY848
    Antique Silk Chinese Hand Embroider...
    $455
    logo
    antique chinese silk embroidery Qing China Asian
    antique chinese silk embroidery Qin...
    $1,175
    See all

    Comments

    1. antiquarius123 antiquarius123, 12 years ago
      Thanks all for your appreciation, and Phil for your comment. I agree with your comment Phil that this is like a maCWsterpiece - I only wish I could read the pictures. It is unfortunately so hard to appreciate this type of textile, or the old designer clothes. You can't really put them out on a mannequin without them degrading, and materials like fine silks are difficult to preserve. I was hoping there might be someone on CW who might be able to interpret what was embroidered on this textile.
    2. Elisabethan Elisabethan, 10 years ago
      So very beautiful! I also must say you have such nice pieces in your posts, I've been going threw them, very nice!

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.