Physical description
The costume consists of the following elements, as described by Elsa E. Guðjónsson in 1985:
Pelisse (Hempa) of black cloth, bordered with velvet and fastened in front with silver gilt clasps. Two circular silver gilt disks on the breast, with cord and pendent ornaments and the monogram 'S. N. D.' in white paste.
Bodice (Upphlutur) of green velvet, with five silver gilt clasps, attached to a petticoat (Fat) of green cloth.
Petticoat (Fat) of dark blue cloth, with flowers in coloured worsted tamboured around the skirt.
Jacket (Treja) of black velvet with gold embroidery and silver-gilt buttons of globular openwork; collar (Kraga) of black velvet and gold embroidery.
Apron (Svynta) of dark blue cloth tamboured with flowers in coloured worsted, fastened with silver gilt openwork bosses.
Silver gilt neck chain (Hals festi) of open work scroll links, from which is hung a medallion (Nisti). The medallion is silver gilt cordate with a blue stone in its centre, around which are engraved the initials 'H.H.D. 1782'.
Silver gilt shoulder chain (Herðafesti) composed of seven circular disks of cord ornament connected by triple chains, and joined to a transverse bar, on the centre of which stands a vase-shaped ornament, and from which is hung a cross with foliated ends decorated with a figure of the Trinity & the Evangelistic symbols. To the central disk is likewise suspended a medallion (by Heinrich Ritz?) showing on the one side the Crucifixion, on the other the sacrifice of Isaac.
Girdle (Lyndi) of green velvet, with oblong silver- gilt plates of openwork corded ornament (32 in all, two missing,) with a pendant of similar character.
[Head-dress] Head-dress, faldur, spaðafaldur, of plain woven cotton or linen base, with plain woven silk covered the stiffened curved form, like a hook, pins all along edge of curve.
[Bodice (underdress)] Sleeveless bodice, upphlutur, of light green velvet decorated with gilt braid and fastened in front with five (originally six ) pairs of openwork pattern gilt silver clasps, millur. Bodice edged around neckline and armhole with narrow gilt braid, wider gold braid down the front and covers the seams at back. On each side of front opening a strip of black velvet and red silk ribbon edge the opening. The bodice is attached to a full length, loosely pleated unadorned and unlined petticoat, fat, of heavy, light green broadcloth. A waistband joins the bodice and skirt, lined with brown linen, and the hem facing is made of green, now blue, strip of linen.
[Skirt] A long loosely pleated full skirt, pils, worn over the green petticoat, of heavy dark blue broadcloth (worsted wool), bound with red wool tape at the bottom, above which is a wide floral border worked in split stitch, blómstursaumur ('floral embroidery'), in polychrome wools - a section at central front left plain and not embroidered. The skirt has a long front opening, bound with red wool tape, and two lined openings for pockets towards either side. Pocket openings and hem facing of red and white check glazed linen.Wool waistband also lined with check linen, front closed with hooks and eyes.
Long front opening and area of non-embroidery would have been covered by the apron.
[Apron] Matching apron, svunta, worn over skirt, of heavy dark blue broadcloth bound with red wool tape and floral border embroidered in split stitch, blómstursaumur ('floral embroidery') in polychrome wools, hem facing of red and white check glazed linen. At waistband, originally hung three ornamental gilt silver button, svuntuhnappar. These were of filigree work, the one at centre front spherical, the two at the sides hemispherical, all with pendant leaves. One of the latter is now missing, as is the leaf from the centre one. Apron buttons were not merely decorative, they also served a functional purpose, the apron being held in place by the belt passing over the apron below the buttons. The red silk tapes attached to the waistband today, are modern.
[girdle (belt)] The long pendant belt, lindi, belti, is made of dark green velvet onto which are sewn thirty-one closely spaced silver gilt ornaments (plaques) of filigree work together with an ornate silver gilt buckle of cast work. Green velvet backed with silk tape and interlined with canvas.
[Jacket] A short jacket, treyja, which goes over and partly conceal the bodice, of black velvet bodice and wool sleeves, ornamented with gilt braid and, in front, with gilt metal thread embroidery baldýring. The front opening is fastening with hooks and eyes, as are the openings of the long, tight-fitting sleves. From the sleeve openings hang spherical ornamented silver gilt button, ermahnappar, of filigree work with pendant leaves. There were eight buttons on each sleeve originally, but four are now missing. The bodice is lined with light brown wool and sleeves lined with plain woven linen. Attached to the neckline of the jacket is a stiff and flat round collar (258F), kragi, covered with black velvet embroidered in gilt metal thread baldýring and spangles.
[Collar (neckwear)] Attached to the neckline of the jacket (258E) is a stiff and flat round collar (258F), kragi, covered with black velvet embroidered in gilt metal thread baldýring and spangles.
[Neck chain] The neck chain, according to Hooker, was wounded three times around the neck, consists of fifty-three ornate silver gilt links of cast work from which is suspended the medallion (258H).
[Medallion] Medallion and neckchain (258G) of silver gilt. The neck chain consists of fifty-three ornate links of cast work from which is suspended a medallion of filigree work with five pendant letters: B A B H B (three letters are now missing), and with a blue stone in the centre surrounded by the inscribed letters H. H. D. and the date 1782. The latter letters are typical initials for an Icelandic woman in earlier days, and probably the owner's initials (first letter for first name, second initial for father's name and D is always 'Dottir', ie Daughter).
[Shoulder chain] Heavy silver gilt shoulder chain, herðafesti, linking together seven circular pieces and a bar, all of filigree work, is of Scandinavian 17th- or 18th-century workmanship. It is terminated at the back by a large German or Dutch medal carrying the date 1537, in front by a large cross reliquary of German or Dutch workmanship from about 1520.
[Pelisse] Woman's formal gown or coat, hempa, with decorative plates, hempuskildir and clasps, hempupör, in gilt silver. Made of fine broadcloth (worsted wool) and lined with a lightweight woollen twill. It is trimmed with black velvet bands and with gilt metal thread lace on the velvet cuffs, uppslög. In front is is decorated with two circular plates of silver gilt filigree work with leaf pendants encircling the initials S M D (probably those of the wearer) set with paste stones. Down the centre front there are twenty-three silver gilt clasps, of which one eye is now missing.
[Shoulder cape] A small shoulder cape with slightly stiffened standing collar of beige / grey silk velvet edged with a woven finged band of silk of the same colour. Lined with beige / grey plain woven silk. It may have served as a neck kerschief, hálssilki, but does not seem to correspond to the purple silk neck handkerchief mentioned in Hooker's description.
[Kerchief] Head scarf, höfuðklútur, to accompany the head-dress, of black silk with floral borders printed in red.
Place of Origin
Iceland (made)
Scandinavia (parts, made)
Germany (parts, made)
Holland (parts, made)
Date
1780-1800 (made)
1820-1860 (made)
1600-1800 (made)
1537 (made)
ca. 1520 (made)
middle of 19th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
[Head-dress] Plain woven cotton or linen, silk and metal pins, stiffened.
[Bodice (underdress)] Velvet, wool, silk ribbon and plain woven linen, gilt braid and gilt silver
Dimensions
[Head-dress] Height: 14.6 cm, Diameter: 18.8 cm the base
[Bodice (underdress)] Length: 29.5 cm bodice back, Width: 44 cm single chest, Length: 112.6 cm full length
[Skirt] Length: 95.8 cm, Width: 141 cm single hem width
[Apron] Length: 97.3 cm, Width: 23.5 cm waistband, Width: 69.3 cm hem
[girdle (belt)] Length: 154 cm, Width: 2.5 cm plaques, Width: 4.6 cm maximum, buckle
[Jacket] Length: 39 cm, Width: 41.2 cm single chest
[Neck chain] Length: 98.4 cm, Width: 1.6 cm
[Medallion] Height: 7.6 cm max, Width: 8.4 cm max
[Shoulder chain] Length: 54.4 cm, Width: 16.2 cm
[Pelisse] Length: 124.4 cm, Width: 49 cm single chest
[Shoulder cape] Length: 31.5 cm, Width: 48 cm max
[Kerchief] Length: 85 cm, Width: 85 cm
Object history note
The bridal costume may have belonged to Ragnheiður Ólafsdóttir, who married her cousin sheriff Jónas Scheving in 1804, or her elder sister, Þórunn, who wore at least part of the costume at her wedding in 1780 to Bishop Hannes Finnson. Their mother, Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, seems to have been the original owner of the breastplates of the coat at least in 1772, when the coat was depicted by James Miller, a member of Sir Joseph Bank's expedition. It was likely worn at Sigríður Magnúsdóttir's wedding in 1761.
Historical significance: In the Summer of 1809 a young English botanist, William Jackson Hooker, spent about two months travelling Iceland, studying the natural history of the island, but also got interested in the dress of Icelandic women. In his journal, he gave a detailed description of an Icelandic wedding dress, one of the richest in the island [which he] had the good fortune to bring safe to England. The V&A Museum bought an Icelandic wedding dress on 18 March 1869 from a 'Dr. Hooker'. Although not identified further, Dr Hooker most likely was Joseph D. Hooker, the distinguished naturalist and eldest son of William Hooker. The costume is likely to have remained in the possession of William Hooker until his death in 1865, before being passed on to his son.
[Head-dress] The head scarf and head-dress was obtained by the V&A after the bridal costume was purchased - they are not listed with the costume in the original register - and also of later date, mid-19th century, therefore not part of the wedding outfit.
[Medallion] The initials H H D may stand for Hólmfríður Halldórsdóttir, and that the piece was a betrothal gift. She was engaged to a later schoolmaster and minister who clerked for Ólafur Stephensen for five years before going abroad to study in 1782 and later broke off her engagement.
[Shoulder chain] Attached to the reliquary cross are ornaments from three silver gilt stick pins, laufaprjónar, with spherical heads of filigree work and pendant ornaments, which decorated the original head-dress (see also 258-1869, head-dress).
[Pelisse] The coat came with the bridal costume in 1869, but did not belong to a bride's attire. When the coat was worn, the plain round neckline would go under the collar of the jacket which thus served as collar for the coat as well.
The monogram S M D on the ornamental plates must have belonged to Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, wife of Ólafur Stephensen (see further 258B-1869 Skirt).
[Kerchief] The head scarf and head-dress was obtained by the V&A after the bridal costume was purchased - they are not listed with the costume in the original register - and also of later date, mid-19th century, therefore not part of the wedding outfit.
Historical context note
The 'Hooker' costume is in the general style of Icelandic festive costumes from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Richly decorated costumes of this type, usually made from wool and decorated with embroidery and silver, were frequently described by 18th-century travellers to Iceland. For the most part these 18th-century garments no longer survive. This type of costume stopped being made from around 1800, in tandem with a simplification of Icelandic women's dress. This wedding dress is the oldest known more or less complete Icelandic woman's costume in existence.
Women wore a long-sleeved shirt, skyrta, of either wool or linen fabric under the bodice; for a costume of this quality, the shirt would no doubt have been of linen. No such garment came with the costume. Also several undergarments of wadmal, besides the bodice and petticoat, would have been worn.
[Head-dress] The head-dress, faldur, which Hooker obtained in 1809 and described and depicted in his jounral was a late stage in the development of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century type faldur, i. e. krókfaldur, shaped and pinned together from two white linen handkerchiefs and stiffened with paper. It did not come to the V&A in 1869, and neither did the two chquered silk headscarfs which Hooker listed. Nor did the ornate fillet, koffur, of gilt silver worn with the head-dress, described by Hooker as worked with filigree and carrying the initials of the wearer in front surmounted by a crown set with stones.
[Skirt] Embroidery on skirt and apron very similar in design, colour and workmanship to work on a festive skirt with inserted apron, as so called samfella, now in the National Museum of Iceland. It was executed about 1798 by the sheriff's widow Guðrún Skúladottir, a renowned professional needlewoman of the period, who resided on the Viðey estate from 1783 until her death in 1816, at first with her father, treasurer Skúli Magnússon, until his death in 1794, later with the Stephensen family.
Descriptive line
Bridal costume of wool, velvet, gold braid decoration and lots of metalwork.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Gudjonsson, Elsa E., 'An Icelandic Bridal Costume from about 1800', in Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society, 1989, no. 23 (London: W S Maney and Son Ltd.), pp. 1-21
Hooker, William Jackson, Journal of a Tour in Iceland in the Summer of 1809, (Yarmouth: 1811, and London: 1813, two volumes)
Production Note
Head-dress and head scarf of later date.
Materials
Cotton; Silk; Wool; Linen; Canvas; Silver-gilt; Velvet; Gilt; Metal thread; Gilt metal; Stone; Silk velvet; Paste (glass); Worsted; Ribbon, silk; Silk braid; Gilt braid; Wool tape
Techniques
Printing; Casting; Embroidering; Cast; Filigree; Embroidery; Plain weave; Stitching; Glazing; Lace; Twill; Inscribing
Categories
Metalwork; Textiles; Clothing; Embroidery; Fashion; Marriage; Accessories; Folk Art
Collection code
T&F
