Coat
Date1800-1820
OriginEurope, Spain
MediumSilk cut velvet, embroidered with silver threads, bullion, sequins and beads; lined with remnants of original silk twill and replaced silk twill; embroidered through to linen backing.
DimensionsOL: 42"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1941-215,1
DescriptionMan's suit coat of orange-red silk cut velvet, heavily embroidered with silver metallic threads, bullion, sequins and beads in pattern of heavy, formal leaves and anthemion on collar, down fronts, around pockets and on flaps, cuffs, and center back vents. Coat has very high standing collar, sharply curved over chest and cutting away to form slim skirts. Front opening trimmed with 9 metallic covered buttons and three functional buttonholes. Shaped pocket flaps with three buttons sewn to coat below flap; flaps are lined with cream twill silk and cover functional pockets of tabby linen. Long sleeves curving over elbows, ending in 4 1/2" cuffs, each embroidered & trimmed with three buttons. Back of coat has narrow, sloped shoulders and center-back vent opening reaching waist, heavily trimmed with embroidery. Buttons top the shallow pleats at side backs and two buttons trim bottom of pleats.Label TextFormal or Court Suit
Spain, 1800-1820
Silk velvet, silk woven with silver threads, and silk twill, all embroidered with silver gilt, sequins, and beads, lined with silk and cotton-linen, reproduction ruffles
1941-215, 1-3.
Combining brilliant color, elegant materials, and heavy metallic embroidery, this suit epitomizes the richness of men's European court wear in the early nineteenth century. The silhouette is attenuated, with slim skirts and a high collar that reaches almost to the ears. In contrast to earlier suits of the mid-eighteenth century, shoulders are square and broad. The shape of the coat, which curves away from the body, hints at the cutaway coat that becomes the standard for men's formal wear into the twenty-first century.
