Mudcloth ensemble created by Twain's Twines
date: label: Date
content: 1990s
name: label: Created by
content: Twain's Twines, American, founded 1990
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A mudcloth ensemble created by Twain’s Twines consisting of a hat, neckpiece, belt and wrap skirt. The hat (a) is made of ochre, dark brown and rust brown patchwork pieces of mudcloth in a variety of patterns. Silver glitter with bronze and gold metallic paint outline the designs on the front of the hat. The center of the hat is taller and becomes narrower towards the ends. The hat is worn on top of the head, mimicking the shape of a crown. The hat secures around the center back of the head with Velcro which is sewn to each end of the hat. The back of the hat is lined with black cotton. The hat is machine sewn; two labels are sewn to the back proper left end. The top label reads [Twain’s Twines / NEW YORK], the label below reads [DRY CLEAN ONLY].
label: Description
content: The neckpiece (b) is made of ochre, dark brown and rust brown patchwork pieces of mudcloth in a variety of patterns. Silver glitter with bronze and gold metallic paint outline the designs on the front of the neckpiece. An opening is at the center back of the neckpiece. A black elastic loop is sewn on the proper left side that aligns with a cowry shell that is sewn to the proper right side. The neckpiece is lined with black synthetic satin on the back. The neckpiece is mostly machine sewn with some of the patchwork pieced together with hand stitching. Two labels are sewn to the lining at the proper right side of the center back opening. The top label reads [Twain’s Twines / NEW YORK], the label below reads [DRY CLEAN ONLY].
label: Description
content: The belt (c) is made of ochre, dark brown and rust brown patchwork pieces of mudcloth in a variety of patterns. Silver glitter with bronze and gold metallic paint outline the designs on the front of the belt. An oval shaped belt buckle in an abstracted design made of welded silver, gold, and bronze pieces is attached to one side of the belt. A small metal hook is welted to the back of the buckle which attaches to a metal loop on the other side of the belt. The text [HECHO EN / MEXICO] is debossed on the metal hook on the back of the belt buckle. The back of the belt is lined with black synthetic satin. A label is sewn to the lining at the center back which reads [Twain’s Twines / NEW YORK].
label: Description
content: The hip wrap skirt (d) is made of three different types of mudcloth in ochre, dark brown and rust brown. The hip wrap is widest at the center back and tapers inwards at the sides. The garment wraps over the hips, the proper right side overlaps the proper left side. The hip wrap is lined with black synthetic satin. The skirt fastens on the interior with two black synthetic ties, one on lining of the proper right side seam and the other on the edge of the proper left side. The skirt fastens on the exterior with two black synthetic ties, one on the proper right edge, the other on the proper left side seam. A single cowry shell is attached to the end of each exterior tie. A marbled yellow, black, and brown clay bead is attached above the cowry shell to the tie on the proper left side seam. A decorative circular wooden button is sewn to the proper left end. Two labels are sewn to the lining at the center back. The top label reads [Twain’s Twines / NEW YORK], the label below reads [DRY CLEAN ONLY].
label: Cataloging Notes
content: This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black Enterprise
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Black Fashion Museum Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.3.682a-d
objectType: label: Type
content: belts (costume accessories)
label: Type
content: skirts
label: Type
content: neckpieces
label: Type
content: hats
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No known copyright restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton mudcloth, cotton, synthetic satin, metal, glitter, adhesive, metallic fabric paint, Velcro, shell, clay, wood, and elastic
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (a. hat): 4 3/4 × 25 3/4 in. (12.1 × 65.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (b. neckpiece): 18 × 20 in. (45.7 × 50.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (c. belt): 4 1/4 × 31 3/4 in. (10.8 × 80.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (d. wrap skirt): 10 3/4 × 49 3/4 in. (27.3 × 126.4 cm)