At the 17th century French court, ballet was performed not by professionals, but by the aristocrats themselves, including the king, Louis XIV (1638-1715), who was passionately fond of dancing. In 1653, he appeared in Ballet de la nuit as Apollo, god of the sun in Greek mythology, who puts to flight darkness and evil. From his appearance in this ballet came his sobriquet "The Sun King" - as the sun gave light and life to the earth, ran the symbolism, so the young King cast light and life over France and his subjects.

This stunning costume is a reconstruction of Louis's costume as Apollo, devised by David Walker for Ballet For All, the Royal Ballet's educational demonstration group. Walker had great knowledge of costume and would thoroughly research historical dress, but he also understood that it had to be translated into contemporary (1960s) terms. The costume recreates the impression of sumptuous richness while using 20th century materials, including gold lurex and, for the motifs, plastic furniture decorations. Under modern stage lighting the effect was like a burst of sunshine, so that modern audiences could understand why the original made such an indelible impact on 17th century spectators.