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Waistcoat
Unknown - Enlarge image
Waistcoat
- Place of origin:
Great Britain, UK (made)
- Date:
1785-1790 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Silk and linen, hand-sewn and embroidered with silk thread
- Museum number:
835-1907
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Stamping a configuration of holes on the silk of this waistcoat creates the effect of lace, but much more quickly and inexpensively than real bobbin or needle lace. The smaller holes were made by fine but rounded teeth, which push aside the woven threads rather than cutting them. A close repetition of the pattern suggests that the design was made with a roller, bearing metal teeth of varying sizes. Prior to perforation, the silk was treated with starch to make the threads stick together after the stamping so the holes retain their shape. The fabric may have been specially woven for stamping, which has been carried out on areas of ribbed silk dense enough to be perforated without fraying.
The inspiration for this method of decoration comes from a similar technique carried out on paper and card, and used for fans, screens and powder boxes. It is still used today for paper doilies.
