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Waistcoat

1780-1789 (made), 1879-1890 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s waistcoat with a standing collar, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the hip. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of ivory silk taffeta. The pockets are lined with linen, the pocket flaps with white silk twill. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white, brown and shades of pink, blue and green, in a pattern of large flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, collar, front edges and hems and below the pockets. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, the top 2 uncut, with 10 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress. The back was replaced; the fronts relined and re-faced, and the collar cut down.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's court waistcoat, 1780s, British; ivory silk taffeta, embroidered coloured silks, altered 1870-1890
Physical description
Man’s waistcoat with a standing collar, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the hip. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of ivory silk taffeta. The pockets are lined with linen, the pocket flaps with white silk twill. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white, brown and shades of pink, blue and green, in a pattern of large flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, collar, front edges and hems and below the pockets. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, the top 2 uncut, with 10 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress. The back was replaced; the fronts relined and re-faced, and the collar cut down.
Dimensions
  • Top of right collar to hem length: 67.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 106.5cm (approx)
Production typeUnique
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
563-1896

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Record createdApril 8, 2009
Record URL
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