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Hoop

1760 - 1780 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A woman's fan-shaped hoop of coarse linen and cane or whalebone. It has 5 concentric ovals of two strips of cane or whalebone covered with linen, with a curve of cane or whalebone, attached at angle to the top hoop, over each hip. The second hoop from the top is open at the centre back, allowing the wearer to sit down. The lower 4 hoops are held in place with a tape sewn to each side. There is a pair of linen-tape ties on each side on the second hoop down, and a pair of linen-tape ties in the centre of the third hoop down. The petticoat is made of coarsely woven linen (10 x 10 threads per cm), with a casing and linen-tape drawstring waist, opening at centre back. Each side of the pocket openings is padded with wool, covered with cream silk taffeta.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Linen, wool, silk, linen thread, cane or whalebone; hand-woven, hand-sewn
Brief description
A woman's hoop of linen and cane or whalebone, 1760-80, Irish, fan-shaped
Physical description
A woman's fan-shaped hoop of coarse linen and cane or whalebone. It has 5 concentric ovals of two strips of cane or whalebone covered with linen, with a curve of cane or whalebone, attached at angle to the top hoop, over each hip. The second hoop from the top is open at the centre back, allowing the wearer to sit down. The lower 4 hoops are held in place with a tape sewn to each side. There is a pair of linen-tape ties on each side on the second hoop down, and a pair of linen-tape ties in the centre of the third hoop down. The petticoat is made of coarsely woven linen (10 x 10 threads per cm), with a casing and linen-tape drawstring waist, opening at centre back. Each side of the pocket openings is padded with wool, covered with cream silk taffeta.
Dimensions
  • Largest hoop width: 112.0cm (approx)
  • Largest hoop depth: 32.0cm (approx)
  • Waist to hem at centre front length: 86.0cm (approx)
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
Miss O'Hara (hand-written in pen and black ink on outside of hoop, below waist, on right side of back opening)
Gallery label
(16/04/2016-12/03/2017)
A hooped petticoat in the French style

Stiffened petticoats were worn to support the exaggerated skirt shapes fashionable from the 1690s to 1795.

Between the 1740s and '70s the very wide skirts of formal gowns had two shapes: one created by the English square hoop, the other by the French fan-shaped hoop.

In this French style hoop, the second support from the top is open at the centre back to allow the wearer to sit down.

Hooped petticoat, inscribed 'Miss O'Hara'
Ireland, County Sligo, 1760-80
Linen, silk and cane
V&A: T.119-2015
Purchased with the assistance of the Elspeth Evans Bequest
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Elspeth Evans Bequest
Collection
Accession number
T.119-2015

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Record createdJuly 28, 2015
Record URL
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