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Not currently on display at the V&A

Stomacher

Stomacher
ca. 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Woman's stomacher of blue shot with yellow silk taffeta mounted over canvas and lined with hand blocked linen in a design of black overprinted with red. The pattern consists of four petalled flowers each in the diamond formed by an all-over diaper pattern, carried out in interlaced simple formal leaf shapes. The ground is speckled.

The stomacher has a concave top edge and the sides are almost straight sloping in gently towards the waist where there is a concave sided curve ending in a shield shape. There are two tabs on each side. The embroidered panel, demarcated by a line of couched silver thread has a shorter straight side and a longer hollow curve to the waist. It is embroidered with a formal floral pattern with a series of central motifs, partly in raised work, of flowers and fleur-de-lis surrounded by a radiating small pattern in couched silver thread, the outermost in white silk, with dependent clover leaves. The centres of the main flowers are in knot stitch, in black and white silk. There are pockets at the point and at the tabs for the insertion of a stiffening.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleStomacher
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, cotton, silver; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, block-printed, hand-sewn
Brief description
Stomacher, silk, silver thread, cotton, embroidered, Germany, c.1750
Physical description
Woman's stomacher of blue shot with yellow silk taffeta mounted over canvas and lined with hand blocked linen in a design of black overprinted with red. The pattern consists of four petalled flowers each in the diamond formed by an all-over diaper pattern, carried out in interlaced simple formal leaf shapes. The ground is speckled.

The stomacher has a concave top edge and the sides are almost straight sloping in gently towards the waist where there is a concave sided curve ending in a shield shape. There are two tabs on each side. The embroidered panel, demarcated by a line of couched silver thread has a shorter straight side and a longer hollow curve to the waist. It is embroidered with a formal floral pattern with a series of central motifs, partly in raised work, of flowers and fleur-de-lis surrounded by a radiating small pattern in couched silver thread, the outermost in white silk, with dependent clover leaves. The centres of the main flowers are in knot stitch, in black and white silk. There are pockets at the point and at the tabs for the insertion of a stiffening.
Dimensions
  • Length: 39.0cm (approx)
  • Width: 22.0cm (approx)
Credit line
Given by Miss N. E. Bennett
Collection
Accession number
T.177-1966

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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