British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/012)

Collection of receipts and bills headings for decorative items for clothes, handcrafted trimmings and motifs made by the girls at the London Mission Lace & Embroidery Industry, Nagercoil, Travancore, India in the 1940's, ordered by donor's mother.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/011)

Decorative items for clothes. a-m. a) 2 embroidered patches with the image of a cat on brown fabric with blue bow stitched onto paper. b) Little Red Riding Hood c) 2 cockerels on yellow cloth, 1 blue Teddy bear d) Puss In Boots on brown fabric – cat with blue cape, yellow tunic, green boots e) 4 patches of small net roundels with blue fabric and embroidered birds. f) Roundels of a fine cotton with blue hairbells, 6 on strip of paper g) Roundels on net with pink and blue flowers, 6 stitched onto a paper h) Same roundall as g which has ben attached to something and cut off I) 2 pieces of lace - one very narrow braid and 2 wider length with scalloped edge. j) Length of artificial silk ribbon printed with scenes from Walt Disney’s Dumbo in pink, blue and grey. Note ‘Purchsed in Quetta, 1946, when the film reached us there.’ K) ‘Dorset’ buttons – 2 cards of ‘Dorset’ buttons embroidered in natural cotton and stitched onto cigarette packet with the foil from cigarette packet behind, 9 on one card, 18 on second. Note from donor ‘Buttons made for underwear, baby wear and sold on cigarette cards. Bought in Quetta 1930/1940s l) Piece of cream cotton lace with broad scalloped edge. M) length of narrow blue ribbon with white woven centre. Motifs made by girls at the London Mission Lace Industry Nagercoil, Travancore, India.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/007)

a) White muslin confirmation dress with bodice and skirt gathered into a waistband, a round yoke with puffed sleeves. Hook and eye opening at the back neck. b) wide satin ribbon presumably to work as sash around middle.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/008)

Cotton traycloth with scalloped edge, with a tropical bird seated on a tree branch in one corner and a spray of flowers diagonally opposite.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/009)

Tea cosy cover in white cotton, embroidered on one side with a tropical bird seated on a tree. Reverse decorated with a spray of flowers. See also 008

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/010)

Ecru cotton tablecloth and four matching napkins made in 1942. 2010/165/010a - Square cotton tablecloth with drawn thread panels and four corner motifs of filigree needlelace (made by mission girls at Neyyoor).Edged with the same lace.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/018)

Child’s smocked grown in cream cotton with blue embroidery and smocking. Straight yoke with three triangles of smocking at the front. Puffed sleeves and a collar both edged in feather stitch in blue. Deep hem and 5 pearl buttons fastening at the back. Notes 'smocked by Alice Allison (nee Young) for her first grandchild John H Coates born 26/2/1952. Sadly her eyesight deteriorated and she could do not more smocking subsequently'.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/015)

Child's smocked viyella dress - round neck with collar and short sleeve, hook and eye fastening at back. Skirt - smocked at top with blue thread in a pointed pattern, back and front same, collar and cuffs with feather stitch in blue thread. Hem may have been lengthened to allow for growth. Mend in the front panel. ‘Made and smocked by Alice A for youngest daughter Jackie 1941/2. Born in 1937'. b) pale blue hair ribbon.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/016)

Baby's bonnet made from cream fur fabric. Made by Alice Maud Young for her first child Peter in 1926, The front edge has a gathered frill of cream silk ribbon. On either side is a cream silk ribbon to fasten. Lined in fine cotton fabric. Silk shattering.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/001)

Black evening gown, cotton and silk. a) Bodice - pleated at waist with sweetheart neckline and false buttons down the centre front. Shoulder and sleeve cap in a lattice work with a gathered trim around the neckline. Long flared skirt, bias cut to a wide hem. b) Black slip with ribbon straps and cut to fit, shaped with darts to the body and a neckline cut to fit the dress. g) Wide sash in silk georgette with tapered ends, black and very long (presumably to tie around waist) d) same fabric as dress, narrow tie belt (possibly the original but swapped with a wider one). Purchased in 1942 from a travelling dress merchant in Quetta and worn at military balls etc.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/003)

Beaded evening bag - small, clutch bag with white and clear beadwork on a beige cotton ground, lined in silk with an internal pocket, popper fastener. Some repair around the popper, ‘Beaded bag used at many balls in Quetta by Alice A early 1940s.’

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/004)

Short, cream, georgette negligee - with embroidered net inserts, short capped sleeves and ties at the front.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/005)

Short, pale peach, georgette negligee - with embroidered net inserts, short capped sleeves and ties at the front. Embroidered in peach.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/013)

Handkerchief sachet and organdy mat - white cotton organdie, embroidered with a 19th century woman in green dress picking flowers in a garden. b) blue cotton organdie with a scalloped edge embroidered with sprigs of flower and butterfly. Items purchased in 1968.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/019)

Baby's smocked dress - in white cotton with blue embroidery, square yoke with round neck, short puffed sleeves and a panel of smocking at top of the skirt front and back. Neckline and cuff outlined with zigzag stitch with dots. Embroidery worn in places.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/020)

Baby's smocked dress - cream cotton fabric, square yoke with front panel of the skirt smoked back and front, a round neck edged with lace, puffed sleeves edged with lace, neck yoke and cuffs decorated with feather stitch in blue, very deep hem to allow for lengthening.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2010/165/014)

Child's cream smocked silk dress made and smocked by Alice Allinson in Quetta for her daughter Jacqueline in 1942. Smocking is blue and cream thread, puff sleeves. Jacqueline remembers wearing it to a Christmas party in 1943. ‘Made for Christmas 1943 I can remember wearing it to a grand party.’ Round neck with Peter Pan collar. Lower edge of the yoke is stem stitched. The skirt at the waist is smocked with blue thread. The back has three buttons on the back.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/049)

Nigerian green cloth fabric woven in narrow (100mm) strips. Each strip has a horizontal woven pattern in yellow, orange, lemon, black, red and white. The strips are joined together vertically. Machine sewn

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/060)

Shan textile - long, woollen with two areas of warp striped pattern at each end in bands of white silver, green, puce and umber with two bands of geometric diamond pattern with gold thread and golden coloured thread, almost identical each end.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/064)

Woven green Palaung bag, cotton with horizontal striped pattern of many colours. Flat rectangular bag is made from one piece folded to form front and back. The top edges are hand embroidered. The shoulder strap and side panels are made from one length of fabric which is fringed at the bottom edge. Seams are decorated with Job’s tears beads (Croix lacryma) which are also used for a daisy motif on the sides and a decoration at the top of the fringe. The seams are embroidered as the top of the bag

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/065)

Kachin bag - Black and brown coarsely woven cotton bag. flat and rectangular bag, made from one centre panel folded to form front and back. The top edges are bound with dark green/grey binding. The side panels and shoulder strap are formed from one length of fabric which is fringed at the bottom edges Shoulder part of the strap is plain grey green, as is the fringe. Woven panels have diamond pattern weave in reddish brown with yellow strip and dots at the top. Bottom of the handle is very worn and frayed. One seam is coming undone.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2001/127/050)

White metal cap badge for The Frontier Force Rifles, part of the Indian Army. Horn with IV crowned, ribbon below with name. Pin fastening on back.

British Empire & Commonwealth (1995/075/2)

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/063)

Shan Bag, Burma? Woven fabric bag of striped in two shades of shocking pink with cream, navy, turquoise and green geometric design. Flat, rectangular bag is made from one centre panel folded to form front and back. The top edges are bound with dark green binding. The side panels and shoulder strap are formed from one length of fabric which is fringed at the bottom edges. The inside is lined with pale yellow cotton fabric.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/056)

Skirt - shot silk of purple or green stripes, hem lengthened with a strip of brocade fabric in browns and greens. To be worn with the stripes horizontal. Garment was seamed but the seam has been cut to make a flat textile. Would have been a tubular skirt held with a belt. Burma ? Or Malaysia?

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/069)

Burmese silk jacket (possibly made from rayon) with a round neck. Magyar sleeve cut in one with body. Bobble at top is the single fastening. Slightly flared shape.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/070)

Burmese black fabric and silver trimmed jacket. Body and sleeves cut from one piece of fabric with a single seam each side and the bottom length of the sleeve. Edge to edge front with a hook and eye fastening at the neck. A pair of decorative silver beaded paisley shaped motifs appliqued either side. Machine sewn with a hand stitched hem. Three rows of silver thread on the cuffs.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/067)

Kachin garters. Two parts a and b. The dark grey ground has a woven red wool geometric pattern and some designs in a range of other bright colours. Grey cotton warp with wool and rayon(?) floating weft. Machine sewn with a seam at the back. Felted red fabric binding the top and bottom. Selvedge on the seam. Slightly tapered.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/068)

Kachin garters -both made from cotton with rayon and wool embroidery, and floating weft. Embroidered in a geometric design in red and black. One edge has a wide border(100mm) of black twill with multi coloured embroidery. This is bound with narrow red fabric. Narrow strip at the ankle of the black fabric which is stitched to a piece of the natural coloured fabric - this has an insert to widen it to fit around the calf. Bottom edge is bound in red cloth and top edge is hemmed. Whole item hand stitched.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/045)

Cord necklace with beads - plied cotton cord - khaki coloured, large triangular shell bead possibly from a cone shell, with four small shells disc beads on either side.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/046)

Necklace - twisted fibre cord tied in a knot on which are threaded two flat, rounded blue beads on either side of a triangular shell bead. The shell has ridges on one side and brown markings on the reverse.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/047)

Necklace - long, cream coloured necklace made of small beads strung to form a double row. Equidistant on either side of the centre are a pair of elongated wooden beads. Possibly glass or shell beads.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/048)

Necklace - large, grey stone, slightly oval with off-centre and oval hole (drilled or natural?). The shape of the stone and the hole means it only hangs one way.

British Empire & Commonwealth (2000/037/051)

Bamboo rings - slivers of fine bamboo, made into rings to hold up the Burmese women's skirt 2000/037/050. Lacquered - some of the laquer is coming off to reveal plain bamboo underneath.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/SIER/122)

Cap in a heavy cotton cloth - circular crown, stitched to four side panels with feather stitch on the corners and a design in the centre of the panel in black embroidered cotton. Seam between the crown and the side panels is left as a fringe with a bobble in the centre of crown. Slightly worn.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/NIGE/619c)

Blue velvet brimless hat. (Part of a 3 piece set with T/NIGE/619 a&b.) The lower edge of the hat has a cotton tape hem. The hatband has parallel rows of stitching. Crown is made of four triangular shaped panels, finished at the top with a button covered with velvet. The inside of the hat is lined with cream cotton fabric printed with a black/brown and white pattern.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/SIER/5)

Cap - four panels of a black, white, grey, yellow or tan fabric in striped fabric, heavy cotton. Four panels each embroidered with a yellow leaf pattern with matching yellow tassle hanging at cord at centre of crown. Lined in plain calico. Very contemporary style.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/NIGE/594)

Cap - man’s hat in dark blue velvet with gold embroidery, wreath in the centre of the circular crown, heavy foliage covering the side panel. Lined in a print cotton cloth. Yoruba. 'Given by Lady Emerson'.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/NIGE/621)

Man’s hat or cap, crotchet in black cotton, circular crown and straight sided. Style that can fold flat.

British Empire & Commonwealth (T/NIGE/622)

Nigerian hat or cap - mushroom-shaped with a wide circular crown and brim narrowing to tubular sides. Crochet with a cloth circle in the centre of the crown. Crochet radiating out from crown in a broad green and narrow red, yellow concentric circles. Underside of brim and side of hat in natural cotton and navy blue wool with a bottom band of the orange and yellow stripe. Finished with a small yellow tassel.