Dress border
Unknown Artist
early 19th century
Medium
Metal thread on silk
Dimensions
L. 16 x W. 8 inches 40.6 x 20.3 cm
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The United Piece Dye Works, 1936
Accession Number
36.90.52
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Dress Border**, created by an unknown French artisan in the early 19 century, captures the lavish elegance of Napoleonic-era fashion. Measuring 16 by 8 inches (40.6 x 20.3 cm), this embroidered strip of metal thread on silk was likely intended to grace the hem, sleeves, or bodice of a high-society gown, adding a touch of shimmering opulence to women's attire during a time of imperial grandeur and romantic revival. The medium—metal threads, often gold or silver, meticulously stitched onto luxurious silk—highlights advanced French embroidery techniques that blended functionality...