Summary
Alternative Name(s): Jacket, South-East Asian Jacket
Fitted boned bodice of brown satin with stand-up collar and knotted applique detail. It is machine-made and hand-finished, somewhat roughly. The bodice is likely to have been shortened at some stage. The boning may be whalebone.
The provenance of the bodice is unknown. It was described as a 'South-East Asian jacket' on acquisition by Museum Victoria in 1990, but the reason for this is unknown. Its stand-up or Mandarin collar is not necessarily Asian - it was a modest style popular in the later 19th century, often combined with a brooch or cameo at the neckline.
The bodice is likely to have been made between the late 1880s and early 1890s. In the 1880s and into the early 1890s women wore tight bodices with narrow sleeves and high necklines, as seen in this example. The bustle was briefly revived in the mid 1880s, but declined towards the end of the decade. The construction of this bodice makes the use of a bustle, or even a heavily ruched skirt, unlikely.
Physical Description
Short fitted bodice of brown satin with stand-up collar at neckline, sloped shoulders and three-quarter sleeves with folded cuff. Knotted brown applique down each side of front opening. Bodice extends to just below waist, and is likely to have been shortened at some stage. Slight dip at centre front; sides flare slightly, but front is flat. At back, also slight dip to centre; gathered to waist and flared below (small bustle might be worn). Front opening with hook & stitched eye fastening. Boned - three bones on each side, each approximately 180mm long. Striped lining; waist ties (brown twill) inside lining. Spots of white dirt on shoulders. Machine-sewn and hand-finished.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from Mr. A. M. Allan, Ms Melanie Raberts - Museums Victoria - Melbourne Museum, 17 Aug 1990
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Date Made
1885-1895
Date range based on appearance. -
Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions - Folded
355 mm (Width), 430 mm (Height)
Width is across shoulders, seam to seam; height is shoulder seam to hem.
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References
Changing styles of women's clothing in the 1880s and 1890s are well summarised by the Victoria & Albert Museum at [Link 1] accessed 14 Nov 2014
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Keywords