Cape
A cape of cream leather with green embroidery and a black sheepskin collar: a mid-19th-century festive winter garment from rural Eastern Europe. Full commentary ↓
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Cape is a textile by an unknown maker (1840–70) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 127 cm.
In the pictureA long cape is draped on a mannequin. Leaf patterns are densely embroidered in green thread on cream leather, a band of red floral embroidery runs around the lower part, black curly sheepskin trims the neckline, and brown fur edges the hem. The front is open, and fur shows on the inside.
BackgroundCapes made of sheepskin worn with the fleece turned inward and embroidered on the outer surface were worn in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and elsewhere for winter festivals and weddings. The arrangement of green and red embroidery marked the region and the workshop that made it, and the black sheepskin at the neck was the most expensive part. It is recorded as dating from 1840–70.
Puzzle tipThe green embroidery pieces, red hem pieces and black sheepskin pieces divide by color. Fit the black sheepskin at the neck and the red band at the hem first to set top and bottom, then join the green embroidery by the direction of its pattern. Finish the bottom with the pieces of the mannequin's stand. 100 pieces is a good fit.
- Classification
- Outerwear-Menswear
- Medium
- leather, wool
- Dimensions
- 127 cm
- Credit line
- Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Museum Expedition 1920 & 1921, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 1921
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
In these collections: Winter Masterpiece Puzzles
Stories about this work
- Six Hungarian Shepherds' Leather Winter Garments in a European Decorative Arts Department
They sit in the Met's European Decorative Arts department, but they are actually shepherds' clothing from the mountain regions of Hungary and Slovakia. Six winter festival garments of leather, wool and mica.
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