Bodice Front
Linen embroidered and quilted with coloured silks
English, early 18th century
494-1902
This women's informal bodice was first embroidered with a design combining exotic birds in the <i>Chinoiserie</i> style with large blossoms and leaves more often found in large English furnishings. It was then quilted in a technique known as cord quilting in which narrow cords are inserted between the lines of stitching to create a slightly raised ground. The back of the bodice, which has not survive, would probably have been a plain fabric and would have been concealed by an outer robe. []