Unknown artist, French

This silver and beige lace chemise is embellished overall with brillant emerald-colored glass beads and gems. When worn, the panels would have floated away from the body at the hip, resolving in a layered hemlinethat, with the glass embellishments, would have added dynamic visual energy. The geometric design of the lace ground was created utilizing raschel knit lace, an economical machine-made alternative to handmade lace. The styling—particularly the lamé central band and the hip girdle embellished with palm motifs—recalls the Egyptian revival in 1920s design. According to the donors, this dress was worn by German opera singer Frieda Hempel (1885–1955).