Blouse

Made in 1930 in Harbin, Manchuria, by Russian and Chinese orphans in Archbishop Nestor's orphanage. Made for Mrs. Read to wear at functions such as costume balls.

Woman's blouse made of vertical panels of embroidered fabric alternating with hand-made lace. The embroidered panels are cross stitched with rayon floss in geometric designs on a solid field, blue and orange predominating. The shoulders each have three vertical embroidered panels, from left to right: a design consisting of mint green squares in a zig zags in between red zig zag lines pattern; a design consisting of orange octagons outlined by white and having a blue eight-petalled flower within, each petal of which has a white spot; and a design consisting of diamond shapes outlined by mint green and having a red star-cross shape within over an orange lattice work pattern on a dark blue background. The middle of the shirt has the same three vertical embroidered panels from left to right. Square neckline. Front, and back are identical.