c. 1925

Cape

While Gallenga’s patterns evoked those found on historical textiles, her silhouettes often drew from the latest contemporary fashions. Here we see a scrolling leaf design, a common motif in ancient Rome, printed on a woman’s evening cape, which was an early twentieth-century fashion staple. Many of Gallenga’s designs have historicized names, including the “Dalmatica” dress, after the Byzantine overgarment, and the “Monna Tessa,” in honor of the mother of Beatrice Portinari, the muse of the famous Italian poet Dante.