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Woman's jacket

Woman's jacket

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1635 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Embroidered linen in wool and linen thread, trimmed with bobbin lace and faced with linen

  • Credit Line:

    Purchased by public subscription

  • Museum number:

    T.843-1974

  • Gallery location:

    In store

  • Image unavailable

The high waist and full sleeves set into the back of this jacket are characteristic of women’s dress of the 1630s. Such richly embroidered linen garments had been part of informal fashion for women since the late 16th century. The pattern of ornate and complex floral shapes was probably inspired by Italian woven silks of the same decade featuring similar designs. Chain stitch, satin stitch, back stitch and speckling stitch have been used in the embroidery.

Physical description

Woman's jacket of embroidered linen in deep red crewel wool, with some twisted with white linen thread (chain satin, spaced satin, overcast, back and speckling stitches with raised interlaced knots). Trimmed with a scalloped bobbin lace also of crewel wool and linen thread. Patterned with large floral sprigs of four different exotic flowers arranged in alternating rows (two per row).

Round neck cut lower at the front, with curved front edges to give fullness at the bust, closing edge to edge, one long gusset in each front to give fullness over the hips. Wide shoulders with full sleeves deeply inset in the back panel which narrows to 7.5 cm at the waist. Side-back panels are set in under the arms. Elongated gussets at either side of the side-back panels and in the centre of the back panel give considerable fullness at the back. The very full sleeves are gathered into tiny wrist bands and decorated at the shoulders with lace-edged wings.

The front edges are faced with thick linen for 16 cm in the centre. A hook and eye has been later attached at the top of the facing (probably also a later addition). The jacket probably originally fastened with tie strings.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

ca. 1635 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Embroidered linen in wool and linen thread, trimmed with bobbin lace and faced with linen

Dimensions

Length: 51.5 cm centre back, plus lace, Width: 32 cm across shoulders, Circumference: 63 cm waist, Width: 3 cm lace

Descriptive line

Woman's jacket of embroidered linen trimmed with bobbin lace, England, ca. 1635

Categories

Textiles; Embroidery; Fashion; Lace; Women's clothes

Collection code

T&D

Qr_O115768
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