Rare 1920s Egyptian Revival Gold Metallic Lace and Lamé Dress
Rare 1920s Egyptian Revival Gold Metallic Lace and Lamé Dress
Amazing, rare, and absolutely beautiful 1920s gold metallic lace dress with silk lamé and handmade silk flower embellishments. The Egyptian Revival motif, which was popular in fashion during the 1920s, appears within this uniquely woven lace. Figural Egyptian/Aztec style motifs appear in the pattern of the lace. The dress may have been made from older metallic lace.
The history of metallic lace is really quite interesting- Typically, weavers made metallic threads by twisting fine metallic strips around silk thread. They made the thread metallic by plating it in genuine silver and gold. Today, not much remains of early metallic lace because it was ultimately melted down to recover the precious metal.
A truly amazing collector's piece, this dress is in excellent and wearable condition.
Size: best fits a size 2, 4 or 6. (It will fit a size 2 loosely, a size 4 slightly fitted, and a size 6 fitted). The mannequin picture here is a size 4. The dress was not clipped to the mannequin.
Measurements:
Bust: 34"
Waist (tapers in slightly - there are darts in the back of the dress): 32"
Hips: 42"
Length: 51"
Condition: Excellent condition showing no major tears or stains. Some very small breaks in the lace and an overall patina to the gold metallic fibers and silk lame bow details - normal for an item of this age. A very breathtaking and wearable 20s dress! Some of the original beads at the collar and bows may have been replaced or restored.