Pair of Pockets
1700-1725 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 18th century, women's pockets were not sewn into their gowns. Instead they were attached to a tape and tied around the waist as separate garments. Worn under the hoops and petticoats, they were accessed through openings in the gown and petticoat seams.
This single surviving pocket is decorated with a yellow vermicelli ground and small floral motifs. The floral motifs show the influence of Indian printed textiles, while the squiggly background pattern known as vermicelli (Italian for 'little worms') comes from Indian embroidery. Similar patterns appear on British furnishing fabrics, usually larger and more complex in scale.
The top of the pocket is angled, suggesting that it might help orient the pocket along the waist. This would depend on which side it was worn on and whether the ties fastened at the front or back of the waist.
This single surviving pocket is decorated with a yellow vermicelli ground and small floral motifs. The floral motifs show the influence of Indian printed textiles, while the squiggly background pattern known as vermicelli (Italian for 'little worms') comes from Indian embroidery. Similar patterns appear on British furnishing fabrics, usually larger and more complex in scale.
The top of the pocket is angled, suggesting that it might help orient the pocket along the waist. This would depend on which side it was worn on and whether the ties fastened at the front or back of the waist.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. |
| Materials and techniques | Linen, silk; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | Pair of woman's pockets of linen, 1700-25, British; embroidered with coloured silks, bound yellow silk ribbon |
| Physical description | Pair of woman's pockets of fine bleached linen, bound with yelllow silk ribbon. They are embroidered with coloured silk floss in small floral motifs with a vermicelli ground in yellow floss in backstitch. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by J. L. Nevinson |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | In the 18th century, women's pockets were not sewn into their gowns. Instead they were attached to a tape and tied around the waist as separate garments. Worn under the hoops and petticoats, they were accessed through openings in the gown and petticoat seams. This single surviving pocket is decorated with a yellow vermicelli ground and small floral motifs. The floral motifs show the influence of Indian printed textiles, while the squiggly background pattern known as vermicelli (Italian for 'little worms') comes from Indian embroidery. Similar patterns appear on British furnishing fabrics, usually larger and more complex in scale. The top of the pocket is angled, suggesting that it might help orient the pocket along the waist. This would depend on which side it was worn on and whether the ties fastened at the front or back of the waist. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.86, 87-1938 |
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| Record created | December 20, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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