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Waistcoat
Unknown - Enlarge image
Waistcoat
- Place of origin:
China (made)
- Date:
20th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Woven silk with self-patterned decoration
- Credit Line:
Addis Bequest
- Museum number:
FE.129-1983
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Chinese garments did not originally have pockets like these but, by the beginning of the twentieth century, they were being added to traditional styles. This was a time when Chinese men started wearing western three-piece suits or a mix of Chinese and western modes. This waistcoat is made from closely woven black ribbed silk and it has a subdued pattern of lattice roundels woven into it. The pockets have been tailored to ensure there is no break in this design. The match across the sewing lines is meticulous as is that across the fold-line at the top of the pocket. This waistcoat has shoulder seams and the back is cut from one piece of cloth, which, like the pockets, are a sign of twentieth-century tailoring. Sleeveless jackets like this were usually worn over long robes and the slits at the sides allowed for expansion. The garment is versatile enough to be worn with western clothes and this may well have been how it was used. It was part of the bequest left too the V&A by Sir John Addis and, as a diplomat in China, he seems to have had several Chinese-style garments made especially for him.
