Dress
Clothes for Women
Inventory number
2019.2.3.14ae.CW.DR.C1860.USDescription
White organdy blouse and tiered skirt, embroidered with irridescent emerald green to cobalt blue beetle wings forming floral pattern.This rare transformer dress, which can be worn for dinner or with two other corsages, for the theater or the ball, is embroidered with silver wire and scarab wings. Seven species of beetles were used to obtain tones ranging from emerald green to cobalt blue. Women of the mid-19th century were particularly looking for decorations that reflect the light, then candle. For this, they wore jewels using large stones and put on their clothes glass beads, sequins or here scarab wings.
This type of ornamentation is rather rare, even if the history of fashion has made a great use of furs or feathers. Even in some cases, like the feathers of birds of paradise today endangered, until threatening the species.
Material
OrgandyOrigin
circa 1860 United StatesRelated object
Scarab PinExhibitions History
• 2019.7.14 - 2019.8.31 - "Resort elegance - Vichy 1852-1870", Palais des congrès, Vichy, France• 2019.8.30 - 2019.10.6 - "Invitation to the ball", Château de Querrieu, Querrieu, France
• 2019.10.24–2020.03.28. ‘The Crinoline Lady. From Alexandre Vassiliev foundation collection.’ Fashion Museum, Riga, Latvia.
• 2021.09.17–2021.11.14. ‘To Play To The Gallery. Fashion And Portrait.’ Together with Museum of Art and History, Geneva, Switzerland. Museum of Art and History, Palatine’s room, Geneva, Switzerland.