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Waistcoat

1780-1785 (made), 1870-1910 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s 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 ivory silk satin. The pocket flaps are lined with fustian, the pockets with linen. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white, pink and shades of green, purple and yellow, in a pattern of flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, front edges and hems, around the front neck and below the pockets. The fronts are embroidered with repeating floral sprigs. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, with 14 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress or a studio prop. The back was replaced, the front linings replaced, a pair of linen tape ties sewn to the back and 2 linen tape loops sewn to the lower front.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, cotton, linen; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's court waistcoat, 1780-85, French; ivory silk satin, embroidered coloured silks, altered 1870-1910
Physical description
Man’s 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 ivory silk satin. The pocket flaps are lined with fustian, the pockets with linen. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white, pink and shades of green, purple and yellow, in a pattern of flowers and leaves, on the pocket flaps, front edges and hems, around the front neck and below the pockets. The fronts are embroidered with repeating floral sprigs. There are 10 worked buttonholes along the left front, with 14 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The waistcoat was altered in the late 19th century, probably for fancy dress or a studio prop. The back was replaced, the front linings replaced, a pair of linen tape ties sewn to the back and 2 linen tape loops sewn to the lower front.
Dimensions
  • Right shoulder to hem length: 77.0cm (approx)
  • Chest under armholes circumference: 124.0cm (approx)
Marks and inscriptions
  • AU BON MARCHE / PARIS / No / TAILLE / OG (machine-embroidered with blue thread on white silk label)
  • J L (handwritten in black ink in the box labelled, 'No')
  • gi et (handwritten in black ink beside the box labelled 'OG')
Credit line
Given by Messrs Harrods
Object history
Talbot Hughes collection
Collection
Accession number
T.1062-1913

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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