Not currently on display at the V&A

Pair of Gloves

1820-1830 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In the 19th century gloves were an indispensable accessory for women. They were worn for day and evening wear. Wealthy women owned many pairs suited to different occasions and carefully chosen to match particular outfits. Strict rules applied to the wearing of gloves. A woman would be considered undressed if she left the house ungloved and it was customary, for instance, to keep gloves on in church, at the theatre and at balls but to remove them before dining.

These embroidered white gloves are typical of day gloves worn by women in the first half of the 19th century. The fashion for pale coloured soft kid leather was the subject of much discussion in etiquette manuals. It was considered extremely bad form to wear discoloured or worn gloves, leading some to claim they 'can only be worn once'. This particular pair appear to be well worn as there is staining on the fingers and a number of the seams are unstitched. The glove pattern is cut with 'quirks' (a piece which fitted at the base of the thumb) and 'fourchettes' (the side panels for the fingers), and they would have been fastened by a single button at the wrist, which is covered in matching leather. The backs of the hands are decorated with fine hand embroidery in silver thread forming leafy stems and tulip-like flowers.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Glove
  • Glove
Materials and techniques
White kid leather, silver and silver gilt thread, embroidery
Brief description
Pair of ladies' white kid leather gloves, 1820-1830, English, floral embroidery
Physical description
White kid leather gloves with silver embroidery.
Dimensions
  • Length: 19cm
  • Width: 8cm
Credit line
Given by Mrs Graham Gordon
Summary
In the 19th century gloves were an indispensable accessory for women. They were worn for day and evening wear. Wealthy women owned many pairs suited to different occasions and carefully chosen to match particular outfits. Strict rules applied to the wearing of gloves. A woman would be considered undressed if she left the house ungloved and it was customary, for instance, to keep gloves on in church, at the theatre and at balls but to remove them before dining.

These embroidered white gloves are typical of day gloves worn by women in the first half of the 19th century. The fashion for pale coloured soft kid leather was the subject of much discussion in etiquette manuals. It was considered extremely bad form to wear discoloured or worn gloves, leading some to claim they 'can only be worn once'. This particular pair appear to be well worn as there is staining on the fingers and a number of the seams are unstitched. The glove pattern is cut with 'quirks' (a piece which fitted at the base of the thumb) and 'fourchettes' (the side panels for the fingers), and they would have been fastened by a single button at the wrist, which is covered in matching leather. The backs of the hands are decorated with fine hand embroidery in silver thread forming leafy stems and tulip-like flowers.
Collection
Accession number
T.196&A-1915

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 createdDecember 10, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest