Waistcoat
Dateca. 1770
MediumYellow silk satin (faded), yellow silk (brighter and courser, used for back panels), yellow silk thread for construction, white silk thread for lining, white/beige cotton or linen thread for center back, silk embroidery thread, silk lining, buckram support for embroidery, coarse linen support for buttonholes and buttons. Threads identified by eye.
DimensionsCenter Front: 20 1/2" (neck to waist), 27" (neck to hem)
Center Back: 19 1/2" (neck to vent), 26 1/2" (neck to hem)
Waist: 34"
Chest: 35"
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Cora Ginsburg
Object number1989-430
DescriptionMan's waistcoat of yellow silk satin, embroidered with floral and leaf patterns down the front and lower edges and on the pocket flaps in brown, peach, and cream twisted silk threads. Three embroidered decorative buttons are sewn under each pocket flap. Front closes with 12 embroidered buttons. The back is made of a different brighter and courser yellow silk satin. The garment is lined with both cream colored silk and an inner lining of natural color linen, supporting the embroidery and silk. White linen used under the buttons and buttonholes, providing extra support. Pocket flaps lined with cream silk; pockets of natural color linen. Construction Details: Full inner lining of natural colored dark brown linen and secured with a running stitch to yellow silk to support the fabric and the embroidery. Button stand made of white linen, folded towards center front and whip stitched to the inner lining, supporting the buttonholes. Twelve buttons, covered in embroidered yellow silk to match, sewn on the front. Lining constructed of silk and secured to yellow silk with a spaced backstitch. Center back panels constructed of a coarser yellow silk. Center back seam later altered and sewn up with a whip stitch.
Silk lining is pieced in two sections on the left half of the back vent and in the three sections on the right. It appears that the waistcoat had three non-functional buttons below the functional 12, as there are remnants of the same brown thread used to anchor the existant buttons along the front edge. The embroidery which decorates the waistcoat is primarily done in satin stitch, with French knots and stem stitches added for detail. Embroidery is worked through linen backing or interlining. The buttonholes are worked with yellow silk thread couching 3 rows of brown silk thread creating. Running stitches of yellow thread secure the cream silk lining to the satin front. These are worked at 8 stitches per inch. The silk lining itself is sewn together with running stitches of cream thread, also at 8 stitches per inch. The center back seam has been sewn together with a cream thread in long running stitches, irregularly spaced, approximately 3 stitches /inch.
Construction History:
1. Ca 1770: Waistcoat originally constructed, including 5 sets of ties on the center back.
2. Ca 19th century: Center back seam is opened up, removing the 5 sets of ties, scars of which still remain. When whip stitched back together, white thread of either cotton or linen is used. This alteration was very coarsely done.
