- Stomacher
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Stomacher
- Place of origin:
Italy (made)
- Date:
1760-1780 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown
- Materials and Techniques:
Silk, silver-gilt thread, silk thread, hand-sewn and hand-embroidered
- Credit Line:
Given by Mrs P. Sanguinetti
- Museum number:
T.182-1958
- Gallery location:
In Storage
A stomacher is a decorative panel of fabric, usually triangular in shape, worn to fill the space between the front edges of a woman’s open gown. The stomacher formed part of the ensemble of fashionable women’s dress from the 1680s to the 1780s. This example mimics the buttoned fastening and skirts of a man’s waistcoat. It may well have been worn with a jacket styled after masculine fashions, such as a woman’s riding coat. The design and execution of the embroidery, as well as the style of the stomacher, suggest an Italian origin.
