Costume and Textiles Man's Coat Made in France, Europec. 1780-1800 Artist/maker unknown, French Striped silk lampas weave with silk embroidery in satin, stem, straight, and rope stitches, French knots, and appliquéd silk net Currently not on view 1915-241 Purchased with the Annual Membership Fund, 1915 |
LabelThis extravagantly embroidered coat, originally part of a formal suit, represents a last flurry of late eighteenth-century gorgeousness that ran counter to the general trend toward simplicity in menswear. Against a fashionable striped silk, overblown tulips and other flowers gambol, edged by applied white net embroidered to imitate lace. The decoration, which enhances the shape of the pattern pieces, would have been drawn on the textile and then professionally embroidered before the garment was cut out and assembled. |
