Pregled posta

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Mantua, Court dress
Place of origin: England (probably, made)
Date: 1740-1745 (made)
Artist/Maker: unknown
Materials and Techniques: Silk, embroidered with coloured silk and silver thread

'Court dress' was an exclusive and very ornate style of clothing worn by the aristocracy, the only people usually invited to attend at Court. The style of the robe is quite old-fashioned, and based on the 17th-century mantua.

Designs & Designing
The shell, the quintessential Rococo motif, constitutes the basis of the embroidery pattern. Leafy scrolls, latticed arcades and tassels are also featured, as well a profusion of realistically rendered flowers, including jasmine, morning glory and honeysuckle, peonies, roses, poppies,
anemones, auriculas, hyacinths, carnations, cornflowers, tulips and daffodils. The pattern of the silver shells and scrolls has been arranged symmetrically at the hem, but the layout of the flowers, while balanced, does not match exactly on either side. This ensemble recalls a garment worn by the Duchess of Queensbury in 1740: 'her cloathes were embroidered upon white satin; Vine leaves, Convulvus and Rosebuds shaded after Nature ...'.

Materials & Making
Seven panels of ivory-ribbed silk make up the petticoat. The robings, sleeve cuffs and skirt of the mantua are embroidered in the same design, but were modified to fit their exact proportions.
The flowers are worked in a variety of coloured silks in satin stitch and french knots. Silver thread delineates the leaves and the non-floral components of the pattern. Some of the scrolls and border elements have a backing of parchment, for solidity and regularity of line. The tassels and bases of the shells have been thickly padded underneath. Varying the height of the padding under the embroidery of the silver leaves gives the surface of the stitching a rippled effect.

Physical description
White silk mantua robe and petticoat embroidered with polychrome silks and silver thread

Object history note
This mantua is associated with the wedding of Isabella Courtenay to Dr. John Andrew in Exeter Cathedral on 14 May 1744. While it was acquired from the May Costume Sale at Christies in 1969 with no provenance, a later sale at Christies turned up a number of Victorian photographs of ladies in fancy dress costumes including an image showing this dress being worn by Caroline Mary Walwyn. The photograph was inscribed "Caroline Mary Walwyn, in the dress of Isabella Courtenay who was married 14th May 1744 in the Cathedral of Exeter". It was probably not the actual wedding dress, but could have been specially made for the bride's first Court appearance as a married woman.

with respect [the very greatest of] to LizBallerPhotos comm.

an addendum.

in a sense i agree with you, though i must ask a question.

i accept that the more rarefied upper echelons of 'fashion' [a broad term in itself] can contain work that some would refer to as 'art'.

though art in what sense?

again, with the greatest respect, i really cannot imagine a garment moving me emotionally/intellectually to the same extent as:

a john berger essay
a charles bukowski poem
a francis bacon painting
a samuel barber adagio

garments are read subjectively and [it seems to me] on a relatively simplistic level.

it either 'looks' good, or it does not.

i cannot think of a garment offering an interpretation of the world as seen through the eyes of the 'designer'. though i may well be missing a/the point.

the tee shirt is, of course, a different animal. a tee shirt is a garment containing a conceptually exterior message/symbol. it is [sometimes] 'worn' art.

fashion is predicated upon the destruction of that which immediately preceded it. a fact. if fashion did not destroy that which preceded it, there would be no need for fashion. fashion is the handmaiden [in an allegorical sense] of death.

every 'season', new fashion replaces 'old' fashion. though interestingly enough, 'old' fashion may become new fashion. this is a curious quirk of fashion.

we don't tend to see 'fresh' variants of the mona lisa appearing three times a year, each one replacing the former hanging in the louvre.

that our clothing is a visual language does not escape me.

many people describe themselves to the surrounding world through the clothing they choose.
many people dress similarly to signal to all others that they 'belong'.
the latter is much more commonplace.

the latter has its basis in fear. the fear of that which is different.

that subject in itself can lead us down very interesting [and sometimes disturbing] avenues of thought.

i digress.

as ever.

many thanks for your observation and comment LizBallerPhotos. anything that opens discussion is, as ever, most welcome.

j a mortram - real as always.

as ever, the deepest gratitude extended to all who comment on any work.

the very best to thee all.
the|G|™