Textiles and Stuff 

This is a most elegant ball gown in cream silk satin with a train. I believe it to date to around the beginning of the 20th Century, to the Victorian or Edwardian era. It has a low oval neckline trimmed with tamboured lace, and short puff sleeves. It is high waisted in the Directoire style and the skirt which is cut on the bias falls with soft gathers from the bodice, the seam being accentuated with piped silk. There is a generous train at the back of the bodice, which fastens at the centre with hooks and eyes. The bodice has a blouson effect at the front, which began to be seen in dresses of the late 19th Century and through into the next. Both the neckline and the cuffs are decorated with ruching in the silk. The dress is fully lined with a cotton fabric which strengthens it considerably and makes it suitable for wearing with care or for a striking display. The measurements of the dress are as follows Front shoulder to hem 56 1/2 inches (143 cms) Bust under arm 34 inches High waist 34 inches Sleeve underarm 7 inches The train is approximately 3 feet long (90 cms.) There are a few places in the fabric where it is worn, particularly round the hem, but this could be remedied by taking up the hem slightly. There is also an area of weakness in the skirt, which can be seen in the photograph, but this is supported by the lining. There are some tiny repairs in the lace trimming. It is possible that this dress might have been worn for Presentation at Court, but we shall never know!

This is a lovely vintage full pelt silver fox wrap probably from the 2nd World War 1940s/1950s. It is a full pelt (it is all fur and no silk lining) and fastens with a fabric covered large hook and eye. It measures 54 inches long and is in good condition. There is wear in one small area on the inside fur and the feet are not in original condition, but otherwise this is a beautiful piece and would be suitable for 1940s re-enactments, theatrical costume or just wearing!

This is a vintage tennis dress dating I think from the 1930/1940s, in embroidered cotton. It has a fitted waist and flared skirt and cap sleeves of broderie anglaise. There is also a collar with butterfly motifs. The front and back sections are embroidered in white and have a design of butterflies and sprays of flowers. The skirt section is attached with attractive curved seaming which adds interest to the garment. There are no side seam or back openings, the garment is designed to slip on over the head. The fabric used for this garment is very reminiscent of bedspreads of an earlier era, and I do wonder if this garment was made from one during the second world war when clothing was rationed and a tennis dress would be considered a luxury! The measurements are as follows Bust measured flat 36 inches Waist “ ‘“ 35 inches Shoulder to hem 39 inches Shoulder 5 inches The dress is in very good condition, the only flaw I can find is a small brown spot on the back near the shoulder.

This is a magnificent example of an antique Victorian or Edwardian swan feather muff. It measures 12 inches long and is 28 inches in circumference. The feathers lie beautifully and it is in excellent condition. The colour is almost white, with flecks of grey towards the edges. It originally had a silk lining which has sadly almost disappeared but could be replaced, however the cotton underlining is intact and is perfectly adequate. This is a really beautiful muff, in very good condition, one of the nicest I have seen. It would be a wonderful accessory for a period costume. Please contact me for postage costs.

This is a delightful example of an early 19th Century sampler, embroidered in silk on fine woollen fabric. Round the edge is a simple stylised border of flower buds and leaves and in the centre a verse “me ye knowing and discern, few where i may find a friend both firm and true who dares stand by me when in deep distress and then is love and friendship most express.” On each side of the poem is a conifer and below it is another border containing several motifs, some with a slightly Chinese look, especially the lion, one of the buildings and the flowering tree in an urn. There is also a man bearing a yoke and two buckets. Below this is the name of the young embroiderer, Emma Peake, “her work aged 9 years” with a flower spray each side. The sampler measures 14 inches/ 35.5 cms. by 13 inches/33 cms. The embroidery is bright and fresh without damage but there are some small holes in the fabric, one just under the building with the turrets on the left and two near Emma’s name near the bottom and a couple near the left hand border. There are also some tiny holes near the top. These can all be seen on the photographs, as I have photographed the sampler against a white background to make them visible. However all of these will not be apparent if the sampler is mounted on a fabric of a similar colour to the wool. This is a lovely example, typical of the late Regency period, which retains its original colour, and would make a lovely addition to a collection, or indeed a Christmas gift!

This is an antique large chignon type hair comb in what I believe to be tortoiseshell. It is curved, is wide and measures approximately 5 inches wide and 5 inches high. It is in very good condition, and there is no damage. It dates from the late Victorian or Edwardian era, when ladies generally wore their hair long in a chignon or elaborate style. This is an attractive and useful accessory.

This is a magnificent Victorian/Edwardian hair comb in the form of an asymmetrical fan of diamanté set in I believe silver plate. The design incorporates small flowers and leaves which fan out at the top of the setting. It has five prongs in light coloured tortoiseshell or celluloid. It is hard to date but is probably from around the end of the 19th Century , when women's hair was still worn long and often high on the head. It would have been worn for a Ball or other formal occasion. The appearance is very dramatic with plenty of sparkle. The comb measures 6 1/2 iches tall and 6 inches across at its widest point. This is a wonderful piece and would make that very special Christmas gift!

This is a magnificent Hatpin from the late Victorian or Edwardian era is in the form of a lizard on a large curved mother of pearl shell. The gold coloured metal lizard is decorated in diamanté and is mounted on a shell with a very long pin, which measures 12 inches (30 cms.) in length. The hatpin in in excellent condition and would make a most unusual addition to any collection and a wonderful Christmas present!

This is a very interesting sample book dating I think from the late 19th or early 20th Century. It is in the form of a large folder, with a card cover and interleaved with tissue, which measures approximately 14 inches/35 cms. by 10.5 inches/27 cms. It is for quite an advanced course in garment design and construction and has line drawings to scale of all the garments. These are shown either in fabric or tissue paper and portray exactly in detail the separate parts and seaming of the garment. The construction of the scale models in tissue paper must have been especially difficult, especially for a young girl, given the fragility of the paper. There are designs and samples of bed sheets, linens for cradles, aprons of several types (including “un tablier de fantasie”), several chemise patterns, bloomers and a waist petticoat. Most of these have examples of the garments in fabric or tissue paper, all beautifully and carefully made. The sampler is in good condition, but the edges of the pages are slightly discoloured and creased and some pages are loose and one tissue page is torn. However these are small faults especially in view of the age of the sampler and the materials used. This is an unusual example and worthy of any collection.

This is a beautiful lady’s bonnet of the Victorian period in what I believe to be beaver fur in two shades of brown. It is fully lined in quilted dark brown silk and has a generous brim at the base of the neck for warmth. It fastens with brown ribbon ties. The measurement round the brim is 24 inches (58.5 cms.) There are a few small signs of wear, a little wear at the top of the brim and the back neck edge and a tiny hole in the lining near the edge, otherwise the bonnet is in very good condition and very wearable and attractive!

This is an attractive and useful small antique Victorian footstool, with carved border and legs, and needlepoint cover, which has been reupholstered in the traditional manner. The embroidered cover, which was already on the stool, (I cannot say whether it is original), is in a design of a bouquet of flowers on a dark pink background and the sides are in furnishing velvet. The stool is 13 1/2 inches/34 cms long, 9 inches/22 cms. long and 7 1/2 inches/19 cms. high. It is in excellent condition.

This is a lovely example of a Turkish/Ottoman embroidered waistcoat. It is made of orange fabric, probably felt, and lavishly embroidered in couched work with gold coloured thread. The embroidery covers much of the garment, front and back and is a traditional design with a border round the edge of the garment and loops, rings and leaf sprays on each side of the centre front and repeated leaf and swirl design in the centre of the back at the top and bottom. It is fully lined in very dark green/blue cotton. As to the size of the garment, the back measurement across between the bottom of the armholes is 15 1/2 inches (39.4 cms) and the length from the top of the shoulder to the hem is approximately 14 inches (35.6 cms.) The only damage I can find is a slight fraying of the gold binding on the edge of the bottom of the armhole. This is a wonderful example of a very traditional garment and would add interest to any collection or display.