Kate Vaughan (?1852-1903) was an actress and dancer, much admired for her appearances in pantomime and burlesques. Victorian burlesques were musical plays that parodied well known operas, ballets, pantomimes or dramas, and gave plenty of opportunities for dance. Between 1876 and 1883 Vaughan appeared in a succession of these at London's Gaiety Theatre. She may have worn the glove when she played Morgiana in The Forty Thieves at the Gaiety in 1880.

Gabrielle Enthoven (1868-1950), whose theatre collection became the founding collection of the V&A's Theatre and Performance section, saw The Forty Thieves as a child. She and her older brother sneaked out of the house via a bedroom window and made their way to the Gaiety for the production's first night, which the twelve-year-old Enthoven thought was 'gorgeous'. She later said that 'Lady St Albans heard about this story and gave me a souvenir belonging to Kate Vaughan, the dancer - her glove, which is 6ft 3ins long.' It is unclear if the glove was a souvenir of The Forty Thieves or of Vaughan, who is not wearing it in existing photographs of the production. The glove was designed to be worn ruched, hence the length.