Crimson coat worn by Benno Kusche as La Roche in Richard Strauss's opera Capriccio at Glyndebourne Opera House, 1963-4. Designed by Anthony Powell (1935-2021)

Heavy deep crimson coat with long sleeves and wide full skirts. The skirts flare out from the waist, there is a vent at the centre back and the fullness is gathered into pleats at the proper right and proper left side rear. A single crimson silk covered button is also present at the top of each of the side pleats in the rear skirt.

The coat has a soft round collar and two vertical rows of 11 crimson silk buttons (matching those at the rear skirt of the coat) run down either side of the proper left and proper right front opening.

The ground fabric has been printed with a stencilled pattern of swirling lines in gold paint. Further embellishment has been added to the wide, turned back cuffs and the three pointed pocket flaps. These are enclosed within a layer of fine fabric with a pale gold ground, which has been woven with a pattern of stylised leaves in gold metallic thread. A band of the same fabric has been used to edge either side of the front opening and to frame the buttons.

The interior is lined with crimson polyester. Two semi-circular padded discs (possibly filled with polyester wadding) have been added at the interior centre back waist creating further fullness above the pleats.

Given by Glyndebourne Productions Ltd

Crimson coat worn by Benno Kusche as La Roche in Richard Strauss's opera Capriccio at Glyndebourne Opera House, 1963-4. Designed by Anthony Powell (1935-2021).

S.208-2018