This rectangle of slightly worn, cream-colored silk is embroidered with floral designs arranged in the shape of waistcoat panels. In the top corners, split three and three, are six round button covers with pink bud motifs. At upper left are two bouquets bracketed with blue borders along the top and left sides, for the lapel front and back. The upper bouquet is larger, with rose-like flowers in delicate shades of pink, spring green foliage, and smaller blue and pink flowers. The lower bouquet is a salmon pink rose, spring green and multicolor foliage, and small dark pink and blue sprigs surrounding. To the right is the front half of the waistcoat, running almost the full length of the silk. The top, right, and bottom sides are bordered with blue lines. Large floral bouquets, like the ones on the lapels, march down the right edge of the waistcoat. At the bottom edge is a woodland hunting scene, with two brown dogs attacking a grey wild boar from both sides. Various plants and flowers in shades of light green, pale pink, and blue grow up from the bare brown ground. Behind the left dog is a yellow-brown tree with light green leaves. The tree ends in a pink-bordered rectangular pocket flap panel filled with leaves and three large butterflies, in light blue, pink, and golden yellow. The remaining body of the waistcoat front is filled with an alternating pattern of diagonal blue flowers and diagonal geometric blue sprigs, arranged in a grid.

There are 8 other images of this object. This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions), and as such we offer a high-resolution image of it. See our image rights statement.

Object Timeline

-0001	We photographed this object.
1962	We acquired this object.
2012	We photographed this object.
2014	We photographed this object. We photographed this object.
2017	We photographed this object.
2018	We photographed this object. We photographed this object. We photographed this object. We photographed this object.
2019	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Uncut Waistcoat Fronts (France)

This is a Uncut waistcoat fronts. It is dated late 18th century and we acquired it in 1962. Its medium is silk and its technique is embroidered on satin weave. It is a part of the Textiles department.

This superb panel is embroidered à la disposition — the design is arranged on the silk in the form of half a waistcoat front, with button covers and corner pieces for the front and back of the lapels. A customer could purchase a waistcoat in this format and have a tailor cut and sew it to their measurements. Perhaps intended to celebrate the hunt, a bucolic scene with flowers and butterflies has two hunting hounds viciously attacking a wild boar.

This object was bequest of Richard Cranch Greenleaf (American, 1887–1961). It is credited Bequest of Richard Cranch Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline Emma Greenleaf.

Its dimensions are

H x W (a): 74.3 × 55.6 cm (29 1/4 × 21 7/8 in.) H x W (b): 73.3 × 55.2 cm (28 7/8 × 21 3/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Uncut Waistcoat Fronts (France); silk; H x W (a): 74.3 × 55.6 cm (29 1/4 × 21 7/8 in.) H x W (b): 73.3 × 55.2 cm (28 7/8 × 21 3/4 in.); Bequest of Richard Cranch Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline Emma Greenleaf; 1962-54-32-a,b

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Embroidered and Embellished.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2Cx8e/
Accession Number 1962-54-32-a,b
Object ID 18445231