Waistcoat thumbnail 1
Waistcoat thumbnail 2
+1
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

Waistcoat

1730-1739 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s waistcoat with a round neck, curving 2-piece sleeves, slightly curved fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the knee. Each front has a pocket and shaped pocket flap. The fronts, back skirts, cuffs and pocket flaps are made of silver tissue with an ivory taffeta ground, the back and sleeves of white silk satin, the pocket flaps and front facing of ivory silk twill, the pockets of fustian. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk chenille thread in shades of red, pink, purple, green and brown and silver purl, in a pattern of large leaves and flowers, on the cuffs and pocket flaps, around the pockets and along the front edges and hems. There are 14 worked buttonholes on a strip of ivory silk twill under the left front edge, 3 worked through the embroidery below and 1 on each cuff. There were 27 (1 now missing) buttons covered with silver thread from neck to hem on the right front and 1 on each cuff.

The front, back and sleeve linings were later removed, revealing the front and sleeve interlinings and linen backing to the embroidery. The side openings below the hip have been sewn up.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, cotton, silver; hand-woven, tissue weave, chenille weave, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's sleeved waistcoat, 1730s, British; silver tissue embroidered with chenille thread, lining removed
Physical description
Man’s waistcoat with a round neck, curving 2-piece sleeves, slightly curved fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the knee. Each front has a pocket and shaped pocket flap. The fronts, back skirts, cuffs and pocket flaps are made of silver tissue with an ivory taffeta ground, the back and sleeves of white silk satin, the pocket flaps and front facing of ivory silk twill, the pockets of fustian. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk chenille thread in shades of red, pink, purple, green and brown and silver purl, in a pattern of large leaves and flowers, on the cuffs and pocket flaps, around the pockets and along the front edges and hems. There are 14 worked buttonholes on a strip of ivory silk twill under the left front edge, 3 worked through the embroidery below and 1 on each cuff. There were 27 (1 now missing) buttons covered with silver thread from neck to hem on the right front and 1 on each cuff.

The front, back and sleeve linings were later removed, revealing the front and sleeve interlinings and linen backing to the embroidery. The side openings below the hip have been sewn up.
Dimensions
  • Right shoulder to hem length: 100.5cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 112.5cm (approx)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Skilbeck
Collection
Accession number
T.227-1953

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 createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest