Images(2)

Pelisse

Date1835-1840

MediumSilk, cotton

DimensionsOL 54 5/8 in.; Bust 39 ½ in.; Waist 29 7/8 in.

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-175

DescriptionWomen’s pelisse made of gold silk damask with a repeating flower and leaf pattern. Full length sleeves that widen towards the cuff. Horizontal pleating across bodice. Round collar with braided trim. Pleating at shoulder crossed by three decorative bands with piping. Ruffles of matching fabric and piping sewn in at hem and cuff. Fabric covered buttons on either cuff. There is piping down the center front, waist, and center back seams. The bodice fastens down the center front with nine hooks and eyes; two hooks are missing, and two types of eyes are present. The cuffs fasten with a single pair of hooks and eyes. The bodice and sleeves are lined with glazed cotton. The hem has a nine-inch facing of glazed cotton.

Construction History:
1. 1835-1840: Initial Construction
2. 20th Century: Alterations. Hem and waist let out and machine sewn.
Label TextWomen's fashion in the 1830s is defined by the leg-of-mutton sleeve ballooning out from the shoulder. As the decade went on, however, fullness started to shift slightly down the arm, as seen in this pelisse, dating 1835-1840.
InscribedThere is a fabric tag sewn into the center back of the collar, "59.139"; this is the previous number assigned by the Valentine Museum.
ProvenancePrior to 1959, Mrs. W. Allan Perkins (Hazelhurst Bolton) (Richmond, VA); 1959 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).