Brocade Yardage for Military Jacket

Thailand(or Siam) has never been colonized, nevertheless its style was greatly influenced by the British colonialists next door in Burma. Court uniforms were modeled on contemporaneous British officer garb starting in the late 18th century during the rule of Rama I.The local twist was the fabric used. Instead of the warm climate appropriate white and khaki cotton and linen, opulent brocades were used. They were originally imported from India but later when the silk production was established they were produced locally. This textile was made in Thailand towards the end of the 19th century. The design is brocaded diamond grid composed of floral design and set against red satin silk ground.For a similar example made into a royal jacket see “Silken Threads Lacquer Thrones, Lan Na court textiles” by Susan Conway, page 142. Also see TX3961 in our inventory for an earlier example.