The tale of a silk dress: part 1 – A journey from Canton to Montrose

My story began in a far-off country and brought me to these shores. Many years ago, I was considered beautiful and rare and I was shown to great advantage on the lady I was made for. Later, I seemed to lose favour; I was altered, of course, as most of us are – it is indeed rare for a gown to remain untouched during its lifetime.

In the middle of the 18th century, Europeans coveted Chinese imports and developed a passion for Chinese porcelain, tea, luxury items and silks. These items were known as chinoiserie. Wealthy people throughout Europe prized Chinese silks, which were exported in massive numbers by Spanish, Portuguese and British traders. It was a Scottish gentleman who probably commissioned me for an adored wife, sister or daughter.

European merchants imported thousands of bolts of cloth to make both fashionable gowns of the day and Eastern-style clothing. Textile manufacturers in the north of England learned Chinese dyeing techniques and began printing cloth with Oriental motifs such as pagodas, temples and dragons.

I was considered luxurious in the extreme because, whilst printing techniques could be learned and copied, it was difficult to replicate my delicate hand-painted motifs. The subtle boughs and stems that feature green leaves, vibrant flowers and hudie – you know these as butterflies – are almost as vivacious as they were 270 years ago. These astound historians today.

My memory is that I began life as a bolt of pale blue silk onto which were painted these still-life scenes, almost certainly in Guangzhou, in the old Canton province in south China. It was probably a group of women who painted directly onto my silk, as their smaller hands enabled them to wield the brushes deftly. This may have been during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–96), during the Qing dynasty (1636–1912).

Next week, find out about my journey to Scotland’s shores, my brief rest in London, and then my travels up to the small port of Montrose. But for now, I must rest.

The conservation of this dress has been made possible through the generous support of the Cedar Trust.