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Coat

1740-1742 (weaving), 1800-1810 (sewing), 1870-1910 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s coat and integral waistcoat of ivory silk taffeta, with a ground warp of paired ends of organzine, brocaded with silk bound in 3/1 twill in a pattern of large semi- naturalistic floral devices and scrolls, in shades of green, brown, blue, pink and yellow. It has a standing 2¾-inch (7 cm) collar, curving 2-piece sleeves ending in cuffs, 5 inches (12.5 cm) deep and narrow pleats beside the centre-back opening. Each front has a pocket, rectangular pocket flap and waistcoat front stitched into the armhole seam. There are 3 worked buttonholes on the left front of the coat and 6 self-covered buttons on the right front edge. The left waistcoat front has 7 worked buttonholes and the right front has 7 self-covered buttons.

It was probably made as a banyan with integral waistcoat fronts about 1800-1810, possibly with the silk from a woman’s gown of an earlier date. The banyan was altered in the late 19th century for fancy dress. The front skirts were cut away to give a more ‘coat-like’ shape and the waistcoat fronts unpicked from the side seams and the right side resewn to make them more visible when worn.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen; hand-woven brocade, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's fancy dress coat, 1870-1910, made from a banyan, 1800-10 of brocaded silk, Spitalfields, c.1740-2
Physical description
Man’s coat and integral waistcoat of ivory silk taffeta, with a ground warp of paired ends of organzine, brocaded with silk bound in 3/1 twill in a pattern of large semi- naturalistic floral devices and scrolls, in shades of green, brown, blue, pink and yellow. It has a standing 2¾-inch (7 cm) collar, curving 2-piece sleeves ending in cuffs, 5 inches (12.5 cm) deep and narrow pleats beside the centre-back opening. Each front has a pocket, rectangular pocket flap and waistcoat front stitched into the armhole seam. There are 3 worked buttonholes on the left front of the coat and 6 self-covered buttons on the right front edge. The left waistcoat front has 7 worked buttonholes and the right front has 7 self-covered buttons.

It was probably made as a banyan with integral waistcoat fronts about 1800-1810, possibly with the silk from a woman’s gown of an earlier date. The banyan was altered in the late 19th century for fancy dress. The front skirts were cut away to give a more ‘coat-like’ shape and the waistcoat fronts unpicked from the side seams and the right side resewn to make them more visible when worn.
Dimensions
  • Top of right collar to hem length: 109.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 99.0cm (approx)
  • Repeat of silk design length: 71.5cm (approx)
Credit line
Given by Robert T Bevan and Denis A Gatward
Bibliographic reference
Une soierie chinoise d'apres un dessin Anglais du XVIII siecle, by Anna Jolly, in CIETA Bulletin 80, 2003, pp.75-83
Collection
Accession number
T.740-1974

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Record createdOctober 19, 2007
Record URL
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