Made in China

As exciting as it was to find a photograph of the exquisite detail of Martha Washington’s dress (“The Secret Garden”), I was disappointed it wasn’t identified as hand-painted Chinese silk. During the 18th century, Chinese silks were prohibited for importation into European countries as competition to their textile industries. Because there was no silk industry in the United States, dozens of examples of hand-painted Chinese silk gowns have survived and can be found in American museum collections.

— Edward Maeder | Greenfield, Massachusetts