Dress panel of woven silk. Shaped panel of patterned cream silk showing a full width, selvedge to selvedge, plus two triangular panels seamed on either side. A sewn hem at the bottom suggests the original skirt hem. The top of the panel shows tailored shaping and the sides have been unpicked.
The high-quality silk is of cream-coloured silk satin with a repeating vertical pattern of four stems of bamboo or similar trailing canes with leaves and berries. These groups of plants are woven at intervals of 2 inches (5 cms) and there are three repeats in the natural fabric width. The pattern is picked out in a ribbed effect in pale pink and golden yellow silk.