Waistcoat
1785-90 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This splendid waistcoat commemorates one of the most exciting scientific events of the eighteenth-century – manned balloon flight. Each balloon embroidered on the waistcoat features a complete globe of striped colour, with a line around its ‘equator’ and ‘geometric’ net over its ‘northern’ hemisphere, as well as a shallow gondola (basket), with flags hanging over its sides. This style of balloon corresponds very closely to that used for the first manned, hydrogen-filled, balloon balloon flight held at the Tuilleries on 1 December 1783, by Jacques-Alexandre-César Charles. Nicolas-Louis Robert and his brother Anne-Jean and Joseph Montgolfier.
The public spectacles of balloon flights in France, England and other parts of Europe were widely disseminated through academic papers, journal reports, pamphlets, poetry and consumer items, such as textiles and ceramics. This waistcoat was probably embroidered as a ‘shape’ that was sold to the wearer, who had his tailor make it into a waistcoat. Given the popularity of the balloon phenomenon, such a shape could have sold widely throughout Europe. This waistcoat may have been made in England (where the Italian aeronaut, Vicenzo Lunardi, demonstrated his hydrogen balloon in London in 1784). It was probably intended for formal wear, as it is made of silk, with some metal thread embroidery and follows the skirted style still worn in formal dress.
The public spectacles of balloon flights in France, England and other parts of Europe were widely disseminated through academic papers, journal reports, pamphlets, poetry and consumer items, such as textiles and ceramics. This waistcoat was probably embroidered as a ‘shape’ that was sold to the wearer, who had his tailor make it into a waistcoat. Given the popularity of the balloon phenomenon, such a shape could have sold widely throughout Europe. This waistcoat may have been made in England (where the Italian aeronaut, Vicenzo Lunardi, demonstrated his hydrogen balloon in London in 1784). It was probably intended for formal wear, as it is made of silk, with some metal thread embroidery and follows the skirted style still worn in formal dress.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk, linen, fustian, silver thread, silk thread; hand-woven, hand-tamboured, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | A man's waistcoat of white silk, 1785-90, tamboured with silk and silver thread in a design of balloons. |
| Physical description | A man's waistcoat, the fronts made of white silk lined with white silk twill, and linen backs, lined with fustian. The fronts are tamboured with coloured silk and silver threads in a design of abstract flowers and leaves in silver thread and balloons of pink, with one in green below each pocket. The waistcoat has short skirts reaching to the top of the thighs. There is a pocket with shaped flap on each side at hip level. There are 12 buttons covered with embroidered silk on the right side and 12 on the left; one to the left of each buttonhole. The buttonholes are bound with white silk thread and edged with tamboured silver thread. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Summary | This splendid waistcoat commemorates one of the most exciting scientific events of the eighteenth-century – manned balloon flight. Each balloon embroidered on the waistcoat features a complete globe of striped colour, with a line around its ‘equator’ and ‘geometric’ net over its ‘northern’ hemisphere, as well as a shallow gondola (basket), with flags hanging over its sides. This style of balloon corresponds very closely to that used for the first manned, hydrogen-filled, balloon balloon flight held at the Tuilleries on 1 December 1783, by Jacques-Alexandre-César Charles. Nicolas-Louis Robert and his brother Anne-Jean and Joseph Montgolfier. The public spectacles of balloon flights in France, England and other parts of Europe were widely disseminated through academic papers, journal reports, pamphlets, poetry and consumer items, such as textiles and ceramics. This waistcoat was probably embroidered as a ‘shape’ that was sold to the wearer, who had his tailor make it into a waistcoat. Given the popularity of the balloon phenomenon, such a shape could have sold widely throughout Europe. This waistcoat may have been made in England (where the Italian aeronaut, Vicenzo Lunardi, demonstrated his hydrogen balloon in London in 1784). It was probably intended for formal wear, as it is made of silk, with some metal thread embroidery and follows the skirted style still worn in formal dress. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.200-2016 |
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| Record created | September 13, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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