Our work caring for Lady Mary Curzon's peacock dress

The making of the dress

Made of fabric traditionally worn by Mughal court rulers, it appropriated the motif of a peacock feather - an important Hindu symbol, particularly associated with Lord Krishna and the goddess Saraswati.

Creating the peacock feathers

The distinctive peacock feather pattern is created by intricate hand-stitched embroidery.

The fabric was made in India and embroidered by professional gold thread embroiderers from the Workshop of Kishan Chand (Cathy Hay, an independent Dress Historian and Maker, discovered the name of the embroidery firm in a feature in the Illustrated London News, 17 January 1903).

The ‘eye’ of each plume is set with iridescent green beetle-wing cases, giving the glittering appearance of emeralds.

Finishing touches in Paris

The fabric was then sent to House of Worth in Paris and made into a two-piece dress of a bodice top and skirt. The bodice was embellished with lace and the trained skirt (champagne-coloured silk satin, lined with densely woven cotton muslin) was trimmed with white silk flowers. The finished dress was then sent back to India for the Durbar.

Protecting the peacock dress

As the dress is covered in metal thread embroidery, including silver and gold, it is very susceptible to damage if the environment is not controlled appropriately.

The effect of humidity

Relative humidity is damaging to both textiles and metal, resulting in tarnishing of the silver or mould on the textiles beneath.

Frequent monitoring and control of the environment when it was inside its display case has prevented some deterioration of the fabric and delicate metallic embroidered threads.

The effect of gravity

Textile with heavy beading or decorative detail can also be notoriously difficult to display without gravity putting strain on areas of the fabric. The peacock dress itself weighs over 4.5kg (10lbs).

New discoveries

The recent removal of the dress from its mannequin provided an opportunity to learn more about its design. New fascinating discoveries were made including a pocket at the back of the skirt as well as an appreciation of the variation in colour of the embroidery work and the fabric underneath.

There is evidence that the dress was more vibrant when it was originally made due to the presence of unfaded colours within the embroidered design, for example there are coloured threads which hold the metal embroidery in place (called couching stitching.) These have faded over time as a consequence of the harmful effects of UV light.

Conserving the peacock dress

The team at Kedleston have been working with the National Trust’s leading textile specialists to better understand the dress’s current condition and future needs.

Removing the dress from display

In January 2022, the dress was removed from display and assessed by our conservators. Their assessment has highlighted some necessary remedial work to stabilise the dress. Once this work has been carried out the dress will also lie flat, enabling the fibres of the fabric to relax. When it is ready to be displayed again the conservation studio have recommended a new mannequin to be purpose-built to support the dress’s specific design and weight.

‘The extraordinary nature of the dress, made with Zardozi embroidery using beetle wings and metal thread, is also what makes it vulnerable to light and humidity damage. To care for the dress properly we need to allow it to rest horizontally and for essential conservation work to be carried out.’

- Ella Kilgallon, Property Curator

All of these various treatments will ensure this remarkable dress will be able to go back on display for future generations to see, once again demanding the limelight as it did in Delhi in 1903.

Thank you

With your ongoing support, we're able to continue our vital conservation work. Thank you for helping to protect these special places.