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Materials: Persimmon silk velvet stenciled with gold, Venetian glass mille fiore beads. Condition: Fair. Although this gown looks in very good condition when displayed, there are problems. Many of the glass beads used to fasten the sleeves to the gown are missing. The weight of the beads has caused some small tears at the shoulder seams. At the bottom of the gown's hem and on the train's left side there are a total of three 3" tears and five tears 1" or smaller. The tears could be backed with crepeline to effectively mend and stabilize the fabric from further damage. Measurements: B, 43"; H, 45"; Front L, 54"; Back L, 64"; Hem C, 50"; Slv L, Comments: In the early 20th century, Italian artist Maria Monaci Gallenga created an ingenious method of stenciling metallic paint on velvet. The result of this process made the stenciled design appear to "float" on the fabric. In her book, Couture The Great Designers, Caroline Millbank claims that, "Those who frequented her (Gallenga's) shop in Florence on the via de' Tornabuoni preferred her clothes to those of Fortuny because of the naive, Gothic quality of the large flat patterns....a medieval tabard tea gown formed of two practically flat rectangular panels, the rear one long enough to form a train, became a Gallenga signature." Gallenga rarely used signature labels in her gowns and cloaks. To those who know and collect this important designer's garments, her work is its own signature.
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