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Waistcoat thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Waistcoat

1740-1749 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s waistcoat with a round neck, curving 2-piece sleeves, curved fronts and skirts reaching to between the top of the knee and mid-thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts, back skirts, pocket flaps and cuffs are made of pale yellow silk taffeta with a chequered weave; the sleeves of yellow silk satin and the back pieced with yellow silk satin and yellow silk/linen. The waistcoat and sleeves are lined with linen twill; the skirts with ivory worsted, the linings of the pockets, pocket flaps and cuffs and front facings are ivory silk twill. The fronts are woven-to-shape with silver thread, frisé, strip and silk threads in white, black and shades of green red, pink, blue and purple, in a pattern of large flowers and leaves, along the front edges and hems. There is a seam at the waist of each front, where the woven pattern was cut, possibly to adjust for length. There are 17 worked buttonholes on a strip of the yellow taffeta under the left front edge and 1 on each cuff. There are 17 corresponding buttons of silver passementerie on the right front, 5 below each pocket and 1 on each cuff.

The separate pocket flaps are scalloped and made of the yellow chequered silk taffeta. Each is brocaded-to-shape with silver thread, frisé and the same coloured silks as the waistcoat. The design is an adaptation of that on the waistcoat. It appears that these were not used on the waistcoat, which instead has pocket flaps made of 2 pieces taken from the front border.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Waistcoat
  • Pocket Flap
  • Pocket Flap
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, wool, silver; hand-woven, brocaded, satin weave hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's waistcoat and pair of pocket flaps, 1740s, British; yellow taffeta brocaded with silver and silk, Spitalfields
Physical description
Man’s waistcoat with a round neck, curving 2-piece sleeves, curved fronts and skirts reaching to between the top of the knee and mid-thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts, back skirts, pocket flaps and cuffs are made of pale yellow silk taffeta with a chequered weave; the sleeves of yellow silk satin and the back pieced with yellow silk satin and yellow silk/linen. The waistcoat and sleeves are lined with linen twill; the skirts with ivory worsted, the linings of the pockets, pocket flaps and cuffs and front facings are ivory silk twill. The fronts are woven-to-shape with silver thread, frisé, strip and silk threads in white, black and shades of green red, pink, blue and purple, in a pattern of large flowers and leaves, along the front edges and hems. There is a seam at the waist of each front, where the woven pattern was cut, possibly to adjust for length. There are 17 worked buttonholes on a strip of the yellow taffeta under the left front edge and 1 on each cuff. There are 17 corresponding buttons of silver passementerie on the right front, 5 below each pocket and 1 on each cuff.

The separate pocket flaps are scalloped and made of the yellow chequered silk taffeta. Each is brocaded-to-shape with silver thread, frisé and the same coloured silks as the waistcoat. The design is an adaptation of that on the waistcoat. It appears that these were not used on the waistcoat, which instead has pocket flaps made of 2 pieces taken from the front border.
Dimensions
  • Right shoulder to hem length: 99.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 110.5cm (approx)
Credit line
Given by F. C. P. Macpherson
Collection
Accession number
T.148 to B-1964

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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