Dark Red, Light Saxon Green & Warm Grey Striped Silk Taffeta
Chinese, Indian, Persian, English & French “taffety” or taffeta, such as this Dark Red, Light Saxon Green & Warm Grey Striped Silk Taffeta, were commonly advertised in the 18th and 19th centuries. Woven plain, they were made in a variety of colors, some changeable, some “chine” or warp printed, some with stripes, checks and patterns. All were woven in a like fashion, varying only in their width or number of silk yarns in the warp and weft. After the American Revolution, great quantities of silk came to the colonies directly from China, including taffetas, satins and lustrings. Simple patterns could be woven, such as stripes or checks and extra float yarns introduced to create patterns as simple as dots and as elaborate as flowers, vines and lace motifs. The Victoria & Albert holds a French Merchant's silk book of 1764 which shows a variety of silks such as this one.
Silk was available to all social classes in varying qualities; those with less wealth might have purchased cheaper silks or found silks from the second hand market.
