Evening Coat
1913-1928 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This coat or cloak is an unusual example of the work produced by Liberty's costume department, which opened in 1884 under the direction of the architect and designer E. W. Godwin. The department became known for its brand of 'Aesthetic' dress, inspired by costumes of the past, and made in beautiful silks, some made in India and the Far East, dyed in vibrant but natural colours.
The design of the coat was registered with the Patents Office in 1913, and it was clearly a popular pattern as the copyright for the design was extended twice, up until 1928. It is an ingenious design, being fully reversible, and constructed out of only one piece of each of the two face fabrics.
The design of the coat was registered with the Patents Office in 1913, and it was clearly a popular pattern as the copyright for the design was extended twice, up until 1928. It is an ingenious design, being fully reversible, and constructed out of only one piece of each of the two face fabrics.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk satin reversing to woven silk damask |
| Brief description | Evening coat, black satin reversing to chequerboard silk damask in blue and gold. Liberty, London, 1913-1923 |
| Physical description | Reversible evening coat or cloak with armholes, one side in black silk satin, the other in a blue and gold chequerboard silk damask depicting flower and animal motifs |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | The original design number for this coat was found in the National Archives at Kew. The design was registered 16th April 1913 by Liberty & Co Ltd of 28 Warwick Street, Regent Street, London. Copyright was extended 4th April 1918 for a further five years, and again 26th March 1923. On the reverse of the page bearing the design record photographs, a handwritten annotation reads: "The novelty claimed is for the shape. The cloak is made in one piece and is reversible." This cloak is the same basic shape, with the long tassels at the neck, however, the design has been modified with the addition of a large pelerine collar. |
| Production | The design for the coat was registered with the National Records Office, 16th April 1913, and the copyright extended twice for five years until 1928 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This coat or cloak is an unusual example of the work produced by Liberty's costume department, which opened in 1884 under the direction of the architect and designer E. W. Godwin. The department became known for its brand of 'Aesthetic' dress, inspired by costumes of the past, and made in beautiful silks, some made in India and the Far East, dyed in vibrant but natural colours. The design of the coat was registered with the Patents Office in 1913, and it was clearly a popular pattern as the copyright for the design was extended twice, up until 1928. It is an ingenious design, being fully reversible, and constructed out of only one piece of each of the two face fabrics. |
| Other number | 617526 - Registered Design number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.37-2007 |
About this object record
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| Record created | July 11, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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