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Waistcoat

1775-1780 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s court waistcoat with a round neckline, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of white silk satin striped with silver-gilt filé, brocaded-to-shape with partially wrapped silver-gilt filé, green and brown silk floss, and carnation-pink silk chenille, in a pattern of sprigs and abstract leaves. The back is cream worsted twill. The waistcoat is lined with fustian, the pockets with linen; the skirt and pocket-flap linings and front facings are ivory silk twill. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape, enhancing the brocaded design with silver-gilt spangles and purl, and green foil, on the pocket flaps, around the pockets and the front neck, along edges and hems. There are 12 worked buttonholes along the left front, with 12 silver-gilt passementerie buttons on the right front and 3 below each pocket.

The waistcoat was altered for size in the 18th century, probably during the lifetime of the wearer. Insertions of worsted lined with fustian were added to the side seams.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, wool, linen, cotton, silver, gold, enamel; hand-woven, brocaded, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's court waistcoat, 1775-80, British; white and silver-gilt striped silk, brocaded, woven-to-shape, embroidered-to-shape, foil and spangles, French.
Physical description
Man’s court waistcoat with a round neckline, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the thigh. Each front has a pocket and pointed pocket flap. The fronts and pocket flaps are made of white silk satin striped with silver-gilt filé, brocaded-to-shape with partially wrapped silver-gilt filé, green and brown silk floss, and carnation-pink silk chenille, in a pattern of sprigs and abstract leaves. The back is cream worsted twill. The waistcoat is lined with fustian, the pockets with linen; the skirt and pocket-flap linings and front facings are ivory silk twill. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape, enhancing the brocaded design with silver-gilt spangles and purl, and green foil, on the pocket flaps, around the pockets and the front neck, along edges and hems. There are 12 worked buttonholes along the left front, with 12 silver-gilt passementerie buttons on the right front and 3 below each pocket.

The waistcoat was altered for size in the 18th century, probably during the lifetime of the wearer. Insertions of worsted lined with fustian were added to the side seams.
Dimensions
  • Right shoulder to hem length: 75.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 96.5cm (approx)
Credit line
Given by the Earl of Gosford
Collection
Accession number
T.135-1921

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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