An article of looseclothing popular in 17th- and 18th century France.
puhekieltä A superior kind of rich silk formerly exported from Mantua in Italy.
1882, S. William Beck, The Drapers Dictionary''
Anderson mentions black and coloured mantuas amongst other silks introduced here by the French immigrants of 1685. (..)Mantuas are also included in a list of silks advertised for sale in the British Chronicle of 1763 (..)