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.
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.
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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 |
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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 |
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Record created | December 10, 2008 |
Record URL |
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