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Theatre Costume

1917 (made)

Costume for The Chinese Conjurer in Massine's ballet Parade designed by Pablo Picasso, for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1917. Short, padded very wide wrap-over 'Coolie' jacket of scarlet silk (left side and sleeve replacement), with sleeves set into the side seams from waist and slightly graduated towards the cuff, and fastening on diagonal from left hip to neck. At the front a block of asymmetric curliques of padded silver cloth, shaped and 'quilted' at the base by black stitching; behind are graduated 'sunrays' in chrome yellow satin. The back is similarly decorated, but the appliques are unpadded. Around the hem is a padded silver tissue scalloped band. At the neck is a flat collar of bright yellow satin.
watch Conservation stories: Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes The V&A holds the largest collection of Ballets Russes costumes in the world. Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance, and V&A conservation specialists take us behind the scenes as they prepare key objects, costumes and a giant stage cloth for display in the major 2010 exhibition 'Diaghilev and t...
object details
Object Type
Theatre costume
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Theatre Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Theatre Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Trousers
  • Theatre Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Hat
Brief Description
Costume for The Chinese Conjurer in Massine's ballet Parade, for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, 18th May 1917. Designed by Pablo Picasso (1881-1974)
Physical Description
Costume for The Chinese Conjurer in Massine's ballet Parade designed by Pablo Picasso, for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1917. Short, padded very wide wrap-over 'Coolie' jacket of scarlet silk (left side and sleeve replacement), with sleeves set into the side seams from waist and slightly graduated towards the cuff, and fastening on diagonal from left hip to neck. At the front a block of asymmetric curliques of padded silver cloth, shaped and 'quilted' at the base by black stitching; behind are graduated 'sunrays' in chrome yellow satin. The back is similarly decorated, but the appliques are unpadded. Around the hem is a padded silver tissue scalloped band. At the neck is a flat collar of bright yellow satin.
Dimensions
  • Display footprint height: 176cm
  • Display footprint width: 150cm
  • Display footprint depth: 50cm
Display 'footprint' dimensions taken from the records of the V&A 2010 exhibition Diagheliv and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes
Associated Objects
Collection
Theatre and Performance Collection
Accession Number
S.84-1985

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record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1115591/theatre-costume/