Silk Trousers (Short)

Short silk trousers with wide legs, decorated with white embroidery around the side pockets and the lower part. Bottom embroidery patterns feature top and bottom registers with undulating vegetal and floral motifs with textured petals that are larger on top and smaller below. A narrow band with textured patterns separates the two main registers, and the bottom edge is trimmed with white lace. The silk damask fabric, probably imported from China, is woven with foliate patterns. Nineteenth- century paintings portray male officials in Manila with titles such as principales and gobernadorcillos wearing these dark blue trousers. (Florina H. Capistrano-Baker)

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