Collection Online
Medium
silk (satin), (crepe de chine), Boulder opal
Measurements
(a) 94.0 cm (centre back) 110.0 cm (width, at hem) (poncho)
(b) 55.0 (centre back) 165.5 cm (width) (bodice)
(c) 72.0 cm (centre back) 55.5 cm (waist, flat) (tunic)
(d) 124.0 cm (outer leg) 29.0 cm (waist, flat) (harem pants)
(e) 58.5 × 76.0 cm (headscarf)
(f-g) 6.5 × 9.0 × 23.0 cm (each) (slippers)
(h) 47.0 × 17.0 × 0.7 cm (bag)
(i) 20.5 × 15.5 × 1.4 cm (pendant)
Place/s of Execution
Sydney, New South Wales
Inscription
(a) printed in brown on orange silk, right back side edge: Opalindia 1982
(b) printed (vertically) in brown on ochre silk, lower back edge: Opalindia 1982
(c) printed (in reverse) in gold on brown, lower edge: DEBORAH LESER
(d) printed (vertically) in brown on ochre silk, side back seam: Opalindia 1982
(h) label, inside bag, woven red and purple on black acetate: Linda / Jackson
Accession Number
CT211.a-i-1982
Department
Australian Fashion and Textiles
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1982
© Linda Jackson/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work

Jackson began making visits to the opal fields in Lightning Ridge in the early 1980s. It was during these trips she began to appreciate the beauty and luminosity in the different varieties of opals. Opalinda shimmers with pigments inspired by the deep veins of colour emanating from the gemstone. The multi-layered outfit is made from the Opalindia fabric Jackson designed and had hand printed in India. The tunic is of Rainbow Boulder Opal fabric created by Deborah Leser is her interpretation of Jackson’s opal motif on batik.

Physical description
Printed silk outfit of nine parts comprising: (a) Poncho constructed from a large rectangle of hand-printed Opalindia design silk with hand rolled edges. (b) Bodice of printed silk, midriff length, with two button and loop fasteners at the neckline, made from Opalindia print on silk in brown, ochres, hot pink and yellow, with hand rolled edges. (c) Sleeveless tunic of hand-printed batik silk in the Rainbow Boulder Opal pattern on the front and back in ochre stripes. Rectangular top with two opal fasteners at the neckline, hand-stitched side seams and hand-rolled edges. Textile designed and printed by Deborah Leser. (d) Harem pants made from the Opalindia print on silk. Deep basque and elasticised waist tapering at ankles. (e) Triangular silk headscarf hand-printed with the Opalinda design. (f-g) Pair of slippers made from Opalinia print, edged with piping. (h) Pink and orange quilted silk heart-shaped bag with black braid appliqué face. (i) Opal pendant with silver motif in right hand corner, fasted with plaited silk cord and silver catch. The opal is from the Queensland opal mining town of Yowah.