Brocaded silk dress panel; with figured ground in light beige patterned in polychrome with islands bearing fruit trees and flowers against a cannelé ground. The weaver employed continuous pattern weft f loats to delineate the mauve-colored curvilinear elements and inserted brocading wefts in shades of crimson, coral, pink, plum, emerald and pale green, and yellow to create the island motifs and floral sprays. Similar branching forms appear in Spitalfields silks of the early to mid-1740s; however, rather than the plain-weave grounds that are typical of those dates, here the cannelé (warp-patterned) ground with narrow horizontal bands figured with small chevrons suggests the late 1740s or early 1750s (see V&A Museum, CIRC.243-1959; T.161A-1959; 269-1891). 

Excellent condition especially for its age and use. Once forming part of the skirt of a dress. Full selvedge width with selvedge partly turned under on left side.