Jacket
ca. 1630-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This waistcoat is a rare example of early 17th century informal dress. References to these garments in wills and wardrobe accounts show that they were worn by both men and women.
The waistcoat is hand knit with coral pink silk and yellow silk wrapped with silver-gilt thread. It is constructed of five shaped panels, one for the back, one each for the two fronts and the sleeves. The seams are hand-sewn with silk thread and the whole garment is lined with blue linen. A series of regular holes along the front edges of the lining on each front edge suggest that it originally fastened with silk ribbons and metal points.
It was once thought that these waistcoats were produced on the early versions of the knitting frame. However research has shown that the frame was not developed enough in the early 17th century to produce purl stitches or such a fine gauge.
Each panel of knitting bears a pattern of stylised scrolling floral motifs worked in yellow silk on coral. These may have been inspired by the designs of woven silks. A very similar pattern can be seen on knitted waistcoats in the Royal Ontario Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum der Stadt in Ulm. The design is further delineated by the use of reverse stocking stitch against a ground of stocking stitch. A border of basket stitch (squares of purl and stocking stitch) edges the lower hem and wrists. The knitting is very fine, about 17 stitches per inch.
The waistcoat is hand knit with coral pink silk and yellow silk wrapped with silver-gilt thread. It is constructed of five shaped panels, one for the back, one each for the two fronts and the sleeves. The seams are hand-sewn with silk thread and the whole garment is lined with blue linen. A series of regular holes along the front edges of the lining on each front edge suggest that it originally fastened with silk ribbons and metal points.
It was once thought that these waistcoats were produced on the early versions of the knitting frame. However research has shown that the frame was not developed enough in the early 17th century to produce purl stitches or such a fine gauge.
Each panel of knitting bears a pattern of stylised scrolling floral motifs worked in yellow silk on coral. These may have been inspired by the designs of woven silks. A very similar pattern can be seen on knitted waistcoats in the Royal Ontario Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum der Stadt in Ulm. The design is further delineated by the use of reverse stocking stitch against a ground of stocking stitch. A border of basket stitch (squares of purl and stocking stitch) edges the lower hem and wrists. The knitting is very fine, about 17 stitches per inch.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-knitted in silk and silver-gilt wrapped silk, and lined with linen |
| Brief description | Jacket for a man or woman, hand-knit of coral pink and silver-gilt silk, 1630-1700, Italian |
| Physical description | A long sleeved waistcoat of coral silk and yellow silk partially wrapped with silver strip, knit in a pattern of stylized scrolling floral motifs. It is made up of shaped panels, one for the back, one for each front and one for each sleeve, with a slit at each side seam and at each wrist. The waistcoat opens down the front; a series of regular holes along the front edges of the lining suggest that it was once fastened silk ribbons and metal points. The waistcoat is worked in stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch in a gauge of about 17 stitches per inch, with a border of basket stitch at the lower edge and at each wrist. The seams are sewn with silk thread and the whole garment is lined with blue linen. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Recent research on the knitting industry in Italy suggests that these waistcoats, particularly those in metal threads and imitating the designs of woven silks, were made in Naples. |
| Historical context | This is a very informal type of garment worn during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, which never appears in visual images and with few references in inventories and accounts. They seem to have been produced in workshops, knit in ensembles of shaped pieces for the fronts, backs and sleeves. This waistcoat could have been worn by a man or a woman. |
| Summary | This waistcoat is a rare example of early 17th century informal dress. References to these garments in wills and wardrobe accounts show that they were worn by both men and women. The waistcoat is hand knit with coral pink silk and yellow silk wrapped with silver-gilt thread. It is constructed of five shaped panels, one for the back, one each for the two fronts and the sleeves. The seams are hand-sewn with silk thread and the whole garment is lined with blue linen. A series of regular holes along the front edges of the lining on each front edge suggest that it originally fastened with silk ribbons and metal points. It was once thought that these waistcoats were produced on the early versions of the knitting frame. However research has shown that the frame was not developed enough in the early 17th century to produce purl stitches or such a fine gauge. Each panel of knitting bears a pattern of stylised scrolling floral motifs worked in yellow silk on coral. These may have been inspired by the designs of woven silks. A very similar pattern can be seen on knitted waistcoats in the Royal Ontario Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum der Stadt in Ulm. The design is further delineated by the use of reverse stocking stitch against a ground of stocking stitch. A border of basket stitch (squares of purl and stocking stitch) edges the lower hem and wrists. The knitting is very fine, about 17 stitches per inch. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 807-1904 |
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| Record created | February 16, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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