DiotimosReading Desk

Dress

Named fabrics

florence; pékin; sicilienne; gaze; nankin

The women’s quick catalogue unfolds distinct fabrics: striped florence, plain pékin, sicilienne, gauze and nankeen.

From the book

The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Meaning

Related words and phrases.

The women’s quick catalogue unfolds distinct fabrics: striped florence, plain pékin, sicilienne, gauze and nankeen. Their names are not interchangeable words for silk; the narration makes speech itself seem to display the cloth. Nankin is yellowish cotton cloth, called nankeen in English, and also supplies Blaise’s breeches, from which he flicks tobacco grains before giving commercial advice. The named materials connect expertise, fashionable appearance and ordinary gestures. The edition preserves period names without establishing the exact fibre and weave of every garment, so this is not a complete technical textile catalogue.

Places to read

  1. Chapter III, paragraph 42Frenchsa culotte nankin: Blaise’s nankeen breeches. The dealer sits comfortably on the counter and removes tobacco grains.
  2. Chapter X, paragraph 25Frenchflorence rayé, pékin uni, sicilienne, gaze, nankin: Striped florence, plain pekin, sicilienne, gauze, nankeen. The sequence gives the women’s expertise a sensuous verbal rhythm.