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Child's ensemble

Ensemble
ca. 1840 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

T.93 - Jacket of red velvet with hanging sleeves, attatched at the back of the shoulders and seamed for about 1.5 inches just above the wrists. The jacket is slightly shorter that waist length, collarless, with unfastened edge to edge front opening, rounded at the bottom. The sleeves end in points over the hands. The whole is elaborately embroidered with applied gold cord in floral and strapwork design, trimmed and finished with applied gold braids. The body of the jacket is lined with fawn silk, the sleeves with a watered fawn silk, and the tips of the sleeves with a patterned silk of purple and yellow woven with metal thread, probably Russian. The same patterned silk is used to make a small pocket inside the left front.

T.93A - Waistcoat of red velvet, decorated at the front and on the seams with applied gold cords and braids to match the jacket. The front edges are fastened with hooks and eyes and ornamented with three gold filigree buttons.

T.93B - Fustanella or kilt of white cotton. This garment is cut in the traditional style of the Albanian fustanella. It is compposed of twenty-nine gores tapering from hem to waist. Each gore is itself made of two tapering pieces, which are joined at the centre of the gore by run-and-fell seam finished with fine blanket stitching in yellow silk. The gores are joined together by a single seam which, left unpressed, creates a pleated effect. The kilt is attatched to a straight waistband through which a drawstring is threaded. The open ends of the waistband and the hem of the garment are finished with an edging of fine needle-made loops. A braid made of twisted and knotted gilt cords is applied to all the vertical seams between the gores, and to the hem above the needle-made edging, with a second row whipped into the edging itself. This gold braid is an elaboration which is not traditional.

T.93 A, D & E - Belt with two purses. A narrow belt of brown leather with an applied strip of red leather has a broader rectangle at the front composed of three layers of leather joined together at the ends only. Each of these strips is faced with velvet, the top and bottom red and the centre strip green. The velvet surfaces, particularly the top strip, are embroidered with applied gilt cords to match the jacket. In the adult costume this wide triple belt was used to hold pistols and knives. Two small purses are threaded on to the narrow back of the belt by a thong. They are made of red velvet and the top flap is decorated with matching metal cord embroidery.

T. 93F - Cap. A tall soft cap of red velvet held by a headband embroidered with metal cords. The crown is gathered so that it falls to one side, where it is decorated with another rectangle of cord embroidery and a red silk bow. The lining of quilted fawn silk is shallower than the velvet crown, so that it would fit the head like a skull cap.

T.93 G & H - pair of leggings. Red velvet embroidered with applied cords and braids to match the jacket. The sides and lower edge are shaped to fit the calf and ankle and are fastened at the sides with hooks and eyes.

T.93 I & J - Pair of shoes. Red velvet with flat leather soles and pointed toes. They are embroidered with applied cords and braids to match the jacket. The edging cord finished in a small tassel at the back of the heel.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 11 parts.

  • Jacket
  • Waistcoat
  • Fustanella
  • Belt
  • Purse
  • Purse
  • Cap (Headgear)
  • Gaiter
  • Gaiter
  • Shoe
  • Shoe
TitleChild's ensemble
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Child's ensemble, velvet, leather and cotton, Greece (Attica), around 1840.
Physical description
T.93 - Jacket of red velvet with hanging sleeves, attatched at the back of the shoulders and seamed for about 1.5 inches just above the wrists. The jacket is slightly shorter that waist length, collarless, with unfastened edge to edge front opening, rounded at the bottom. The sleeves end in points over the hands. The whole is elaborately embroidered with applied gold cord in floral and strapwork design, trimmed and finished with applied gold braids. The body of the jacket is lined with fawn silk, the sleeves with a watered fawn silk, and the tips of the sleeves with a patterned silk of purple and yellow woven with metal thread, probably Russian. The same patterned silk is used to make a small pocket inside the left front.

T.93A - Waistcoat of red velvet, decorated at the front and on the seams with applied gold cords and braids to match the jacket. The front edges are fastened with hooks and eyes and ornamented with three gold filigree buttons.

T.93B - Fustanella or kilt of white cotton. This garment is cut in the traditional style of the Albanian fustanella. It is compposed of twenty-nine gores tapering from hem to waist. Each gore is itself made of two tapering pieces, which are joined at the centre of the gore by run-and-fell seam finished with fine blanket stitching in yellow silk. The gores are joined together by a single seam which, left unpressed, creates a pleated effect. The kilt is attatched to a straight waistband through which a drawstring is threaded. The open ends of the waistband and the hem of the garment are finished with an edging of fine needle-made loops. A braid made of twisted and knotted gilt cords is applied to all the vertical seams between the gores, and to the hem above the needle-made edging, with a second row whipped into the edging itself. This gold braid is an elaboration which is not traditional.

T.93 A, D & E - Belt with two purses. A narrow belt of brown leather with an applied strip of red leather has a broader rectangle at the front composed of three layers of leather joined together at the ends only. Each of these strips is faced with velvet, the top and bottom red and the centre strip green. The velvet surfaces, particularly the top strip, are embroidered with applied gilt cords to match the jacket. In the adult costume this wide triple belt was used to hold pistols and knives. Two small purses are threaded on to the narrow back of the belt by a thong. They are made of red velvet and the top flap is decorated with matching metal cord embroidery.

T. 93F - Cap. A tall soft cap of red velvet held by a headband embroidered with metal cords. The crown is gathered so that it falls to one side, where it is decorated with another rectangle of cord embroidery and a red silk bow. The lining of quilted fawn silk is shallower than the velvet crown, so that it would fit the head like a skull cap.

T.93 G & H - pair of leggings. Red velvet embroidered with applied cords and braids to match the jacket. The sides and lower edge are shaped to fit the calf and ankle and are fastened at the sides with hooks and eyes.

T.93 I & J - Pair of shoes. Red velvet with flat leather soles and pointed toes. They are embroidered with applied cords and braids to match the jacket. The edging cord finished in a small tassel at the back of the heel.
Dimensions
  • T.93 length: 23cm
  • T.93 width: 86cm (Note: Width across sleeves)
  • T.93 a length: 25cm
  • T.93 f length: 23.5cm
  • T.93 f circumference: 51cm
  • T.93 g & h length: 18.5cm
  • T.93 i & j length: 14.5cm
Measurements taken from historical records, have not been checked.
Object history
Gift from Mrs. Lewis Clarke. Registered papers 80/186.

A note in the register says "Boy's gala costume copied from the national costume adopted by the Greek court after the establishment of the independent Kindom of Greece, which was based on the Albanian/Epirote costume of some of the leading fighters of the War of Independence. It is in no way typical of every day children's clothes in 19th century Greece.

The donor is a granddaughter of Constantine Alexander Ionides whose collection of paintings is now in the V&A Museum. The costume is said to be the one worn by Luke Ionides, younger borther of Constantine Alexander, in the portrait of the family of Alexander Ionides by G.F. Watts, c.1840 (CAI 1147).

This suit compares to a similar child's costume said to have been made in Corfu, T.345 to G-1975."
Collection
Accession number
T.93-1980

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
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