Objects Catalogue Record

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Metadata

Accession Number

2014.3.1-A-D

Object Name

Dress

Common Name

Opera costume

Date

1880

Description

Dress; Elizabethan-style opera costume in four pieces: Bodice (A) is made of ivory silk jacquard brocade. It has a split, V-shaped front decorated with a wide machine-made trim consisting of fine gold metal wire looped into picots and swirls, and threaded with narrow flat ribbon in a matte bronze color. A triangular insert (modified stomacher) is embellished with elaborate hand embroidery in period-inspired designs using hammered metal "thread", couched cording, faux pearls, gold sequins, and clear rhinestones. The bodice has long sleeves (probably recently reproduced) made of pale gold tulle criss-crossed with rows of gold sequins in a windowpane pattern. A faux pearl is sewn in the center of each pane and at every intersection of the sequins. A short line of pearls is sewn to each sleeve at the wrist. The sleeves are open above the wrist and threaded with a 1/4-inch-wide metallic gold ribbon (may be modern). Padded rolls made of the same brocade are shaped and wrapped with dark bronze looped trim. They are sewn to the bodice at the shoulders and wrapped at the sides of the waistline. The bodice is structured with lightweight metal boning, and lined with cotton muslin. It is closed at center back with a series of 7 bronze hooks sewn at proper right, with corresponding eyes at proper left along a placket opening. A decorative pleated cockade or floret made of ivory polished cotton is hung off the bottom eye at the back waist. A length of silk twill tape with a hook and eye fastener at the ends holds the bodice around the waistline.
Overskirt (B) is made of the same brocade as the bodice. It is split in front, the two sides held together with a short length of twill tape, and cut with a short train at the back. The overskirt is decorated in the same manner as the bodice with only with the preworked trim and handsewn pearls of varying sizes running down each side of the split. It is faced with ivory silk satin on each side of the split, and also at the back of the train with a lighter weight striped silk taffeta. Skirt (C) features a large panel of ivory silk satin at center front which is hand embroidered using the same materials as on the bodice, and visible when worn under the overskirt. The design is of a floral motif, narrower near the waistline, then gradually increasing in width to a large chandelier-type motif at the hemline. This elaborate design purposely uses larger pearls and more rhinestones to catch the light. The remainder of the skirt and short train is made of a heavier weight cotton with a small piece of cotton organdy gathered and sewn under the back of the train.
Stand-up collar (D) is made of very fine, iridescent gold netting covering a wire frame with ribs. It is embroidered with the hammered metal in a vertical leaf and herringbone design worked along those ribs. (Smaller bright gold spots might be glitter recently added with some type of adhesive). It is worn over the shoulders with the highest point behind the head. The collar fastens to the bodice along the neckline with a series of metal hooks (sewn to the bodice) and eyes (sewn to the collar). The lower edge of the collar, worn directly on the shoulders, is padded with cotton batting and then covered with the silk brocade.
Designed and fashioned by costumiere Marie Muelle of Paris, France

Creator

Muelle, Marie

Creator Role

Designer

Place of Origin

France: Paris

Materials

Fabric/Metal/Faux pearls/Sequins/Rhinestone

Fabric Name

Silk/Tulle/Cotton

Provenance

Costume is from Jean de Neville, an opera by Leo Delibes and was premiered at the Opera-Comique in Paris in March 1880. This was a significant date as this was one of the first productions in Paris to be lit by electricity, and for that reason, the costumes were more elaborate than usual.

Credit Line

Gift of Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf