V&A Dundee to exhibit 1840s christening robe

A 180-year-old Ayrshire christening robe has been carefully cleaned by textile conservation experts before it goes on show at V&A Dundee.

It will go on display for the first time in 50 years and features an intricate hand-embroidered design of trailing stems bearing flowers and leaves.

It was specially chosen from the V&A’s collection by V&A curators in close collaboration with colleagues from Ayrshire museums who offered their expert knowledge of Ayrshire embroidery.

The cleaning process, which took several days to complete, began with vacuuming the robe to remove dust and loose dirt while checking for weak areas in the fabric. Instead of employing conventional cleaning techniques, staff in the V&A’s Textiles Conservation studio in London washed the garment in a shallow bath constructed on a specially designed table that can be tipped to drain the water away.

Elizabeth-Anne Haldane, Senior Textile Conservator at the V&A, said: “The robe was in very good structural condition but over the years had become yellowed, as the cotton aged. It was really improved by being washed and the fine white cotton now looks as clean, fresh and crease-free as it would originally have been intended to be for a baby’s christening.

“We are currently preparing a number of wonderful textiles so they are ready to be transported to Dundee and displayed in the Scottish Design Galleries.”

The £80 million design museum will open on 15 September.