Waistcoat

1780-1789 (made), 1870-1910 (altered)
Waistcoat thumbnail 1
Waistcoat thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Artist/Maker
Place Of Origin

Man’s waistcoat with a round neckline, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of green and yellow shot silk taffeta. The waistcoat fronts and pocket flaps are lined with ivory silk twill, the pockets with bleached linen. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white and shades of pink, blue and green, in a pattern of flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, front edges and hems, around the front neck and below the pockets. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, the top 2 uncut, with 10 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress. The back was replaced, insertions made at the side seams and 3 pairs of hooks and eyes sewn to the fronts.


object details
Categories
Object Type
Materials and Techniques
Silk, linen; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief Description
Man's waistcoat, court, 1780s, English; Green/yellow shot silk, embroidered coloured silks, altered 1870-1910
Physical Description
Man’s waistcoat with a round neckline, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of green and yellow shot silk taffeta. The waistcoat fronts and pocket flaps are lined with ivory silk twill, the pockets with bleached linen. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white and shades of pink, blue and green, in a pattern of flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, front edges and hems, around the front neck and below the pockets. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, the top 2 uncut, with 10 embroidered buttons on the right front.



The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress. The back was replaced, insertions made at the side seams and 3 pairs of hooks and eyes sewn to the fronts.
Dimensions
  • Right shoulder to right hem length: 86.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 88.0cm (approx)
Credit line
From the Henry Wallis Collection
Collection
Accession Number
T.771-1919

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record createdJune 24, 2009
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