Dress

Object/Artifact

-

Saco Museum

Name/Title

Dress

Entry/Object ID

2004.13.5

Description

Evening gown of sheer black chiffon draped over a bright pink silk satin underdress that changes the color into a dark maroon. Splashes of the exposed pink silk appear as a counterpoint and a black silk sash is finished in the back with a knot of velvet cord. Sleeve cuffs and high boned collar of white lace. The satin underdress is also decorated with lozenge-shaped black beaded patches with gold beading on the bodice. The hem of the chiffon overskirt is decorated with beading in a Greek key pattern.

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1909

Material

silk satin, lace, velvet, silk chiffon, glass and jet beads

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Sheer black chiffon drapes over a shockingly bright pink underdress to utterly change the nature of the color into something mysterious, rich, and shifting in tone as the chiffon moves. Splashes of the exposed pink silk appear as a counterpoint and a black silk sash is finished in the back with a knot of velvet cord. The lace cuffs and collar set off the dark hues of the gown and provide an elegant contrast. According to notes from the donor, the dress probably belonged to either Mabel Bacon Knight or Martha Weymouth Lord, both of whom would have been about thirty at the time this dress was worn.