#2540   German Folk Blouse   19th C. 

$240.00

Materials: Heavy linen, red, cream, and black cotton embroidery floss, cotton crochet lace, red and white cotton cord.

Provenance: Purchased at auction from a New England museum's de-accession lot.

Label: Museum accession tag stapled onto hem, "DEUTCH 218901".

Condition: Very Good. Some faint stains scattered on shirt below front embroidery; under left arm a group of small brown stains; crochet lace on right sleeve damaged and light overall fading to the red and black embroidery.

Measurements:    Sh-Sh, 16"; B, 44 "; Blouse L, 23"; Slv L, 21"; Hem C, 50".

Comments: Linen folk blouses from Eastern Europe are cut in two distinctive ways. The Dinaric form uses ungathered, straight cut pieces for the sleeves and body and has a slit front placket. The Pannonian cut gathers the sleeves and bodice pieces into a narrow neckband, also with slit front placket. Dramatic red and black raised embroidery was worked onto this 19th C. Pannonian style German peasant blouse. The back seams were re-enforced with a decorative black stitching. Sleeves have a double row of birds facing each other over a center row of stylized hearts and flowers. What is unusual about this blouse is the animal motifs; most traditional Eastern European blouses used geometric and floral designs.