Costume design by P Croce for a Leek in the ballet in Amor, late 19th century

Leek with face at top of foliage, the leaves covering the body from which protrude green hands and arms and legs. Pen and ink and watercolour over pencil. Signed and annotated.

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

This costume was designed for the ballet Amor, and may relate to the ballet with choreography by Luigi Manzotti premiered at La Scala, Milan, in 1886. The design came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest and was proably acquired by him as possible illustration in his various publications on ballet design. Four of the designs (S.232-2000; S.234-2000; S.235-2000; S.354-2001) from the group of ten in the collection were reproduced in Beaumont's Five Centuries of Ballet Design, published by The Studio Ltd., London, nd.

Historical significance: An example of a costume in the shape of a vegetable from one of the large spectacular realistic productions which characterised Italian ballet in the late 19th century.

S.233-2000