Dress
Date: 1924
Material: silk, silk velvet, iridescent glass bugle beads
2022.21
Label: none
Heavy silk satin brocaded in arabesque motif in raised rib pattern & silk velvet linear motifs overlayed with iridescent glass bugle bead to accentuate underlying motifs. Scoop neck with short sleeves. A draped waist sash is gathered at left, falling past hemline, and ending in a long silk tasseled fringe.
Measurements:
Bust: 38 inches
Waist: 36 inches
Shoulders: 15 inches
Total length: 43 inches
More Information: Typically found in Arabic designs and in Moorish architecture, Arabesque motifs follow rhythmic lines and scrolled patterns that are intended to be seamlessly repeated throughout a space. The scrolled designs on this dress are interrupted by raised velvet and beaded undulations. Unfortunately, the Arabesque motifs are fairly muted and vague, hiding in the background next to the texture between the raised velvet and beaded undulations. The sash, sewn low over the drop waist, is decorated with fringe, a common component in many 1920s dresses.