Panel from a Lady's Evening Tunic

A silk and gold textile fragment from the 12th century in the collection of the British Museum inspired Gallenga’s pattern design for this dress panel. Rather than weaving the design into the velvet with gilt thread, Gallenga hand-painted blocks that were then used to print the design onto the solid blue velvet. Her printing technique, in which she blended metallic and/or colored pigments to create a subtle and timeworn appearance, resulted in a decidedly innovative and modern effect.