Theatre Costume thumbnail 1
Theatre Costume thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Theatre Costume

ca.1975 (made)
Place of origin

This stage costume, worn by Jimmy Page, guitarist of Led Zeppelin, is known as the 'Egyptian' costume because of the symbols prominent on the back of the satin jacket. These symbols are more than just decoration, however, reflecting Page's interest in the occult, and particularly the teachings of early 20th Century British occultist and writer Aleister Crowley.

The Eye of Thoth, within the triangle, represents the ancient Egyptian God of writing, magick and learning; he is considered the patron of magicians and sages. The Egyptian woman is Nut (noot), Goddess of the sky; Aleister Crowley claimed that she revealed herself to him in 1904 as Nuit, the personification of infinite space. The winged disk emblem is found in many ancient cultures around the world; some believe the depiction of the winged disk is based on the appearance of the sun's corona during a solar eclipse.

As well as having meaning in the symbols, the ivory satin costume itself would have been highly eye-catching; Page's wild performance style was reflected in his stage outfits.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Theatre Costume
  • Rock and Pop Costume
  • Trousers
  • Theatre Costume
  • Rock and Pop Costume
Materials and techniques
Painted satin and gold cord
Brief description
'Egyptian' stage costume worn by Jimmy Page of the rock band, Led Zeppelin, ca. 1975
Dimensions
  • Height: 150cm
  • Width: 47cm
  • Depth: 17cm
All measurements approximate
Credit line
Given by Jimmy Page
Summary
This stage costume, worn by Jimmy Page, guitarist of Led Zeppelin, is known as the 'Egyptian' costume because of the symbols prominent on the back of the satin jacket. These symbols are more than just decoration, however, reflecting Page's interest in the occult, and particularly the teachings of early 20th Century British occultist and writer Aleister Crowley.

The Eye of Thoth, within the triangle, represents the ancient Egyptian God of writing, magick and learning; he is considered the patron of magicians and sages. The Egyptian woman is Nut (noot), Goddess of the sky; Aleister Crowley claimed that she revealed herself to him in 1904 as Nuit, the personification of infinite space. The winged disk emblem is found in many ancient cultures around the world; some believe the depiction of the winged disk is based on the appearance of the sun's corona during a solar eclipse.

As well as having meaning in the symbols, the ivory satin costume itself would have been highly eye-catching; Page's wild performance style was reflected in his stage outfits.
Collection
Accession number
S.79:1, 2-2008

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 16, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest