Mantle
1878-1882 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
By the 1870s Kashmir shawls had been in fashion for nearly a century. The advent of slimmer fashions and the bustled skirt meant that shawls became outdated. Some were transformed into figure-hugging mantles or dolmans, lavishly trimmed and lined to match the colours of the shawl pattern.
Ornate trimmings positioned on the back of this dolman accentuate its bustled silhouette and complement the paisley patterned textile. Rich passementerie such as tassles, rosettes, braid, cords, tufts, and fringe frequently embellished women's fashionable dress, creating luxurious effects resembling the trimmings found on curtains and upholstery.
These trimmings took hours of highly skilled work to complete.The example illustrated here incorporates three long pointed wooden moulds wrapped in blue floss silk. These are then decorated with a multicoloured cord, which must have been made specifically for this garment, as the colours harmonize exactly.
Ornate trimmings positioned on the back of this dolman accentuate its bustled silhouette and complement the paisley patterned textile. Rich passementerie such as tassles, rosettes, braid, cords, tufts, and fringe frequently embellished women's fashionable dress, creating luxurious effects resembling the trimmings found on curtains and upholstery.
These trimmings took hours of highly skilled work to complete.The example illustrated here incorporates three long pointed wooden moulds wrapped in blue floss silk. These are then decorated with a multicoloured cord, which must have been made specifically for this garment, as the colours harmonize exactly.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Woven wool lined with quilted silk satin, trimmed with twisted silk and chenille fringe, and passementerie motifs |
| Brief description | Woman's mantle or dolman, British, 1878-82; made of Indian wool shawl |
| Physical description | Woman's mantle or dolman of woven wool lined with quilted silk satin and trimmed with a twisted silk and chenille fringe. At each side of the back waist there is a passementerie motif, each with three suspended passementerie moulds. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester |
| Object history | This shawl mantle was given as part of a group of objects by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in 1957. At the time it was believed to have come from the collection of Princess Marie-Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (1872-1956). Such mantles were fashionable from the 1870s so it is likely to have been worn by a member of the previous generation of the family, possibly Princess Marie-Louise's mother, Princess Helena (1846-1923) the fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. |
| Production | Woven in India for the European market |
| Summary | By the 1870s Kashmir shawls had been in fashion for nearly a century. The advent of slimmer fashions and the bustled skirt meant that shawls became outdated. Some were transformed into figure-hugging mantles or dolmans, lavishly trimmed and lined to match the colours of the shawl pattern. Ornate trimmings positioned on the back of this dolman accentuate its bustled silhouette and complement the paisley patterned textile. Rich passementerie such as tassles, rosettes, braid, cords, tufts, and fringe frequently embellished women's fashionable dress, creating luxurious effects resembling the trimmings found on curtains and upholstery. These trimmings took hours of highly skilled work to complete.The example illustrated here incorporates three long pointed wooden moulds wrapped in blue floss silk. These are then decorated with a multicoloured cord, which must have been made specifically for this garment, as the colours harmonize exactly. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.44-1957 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 16, 2006 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
