Toreador cape

In the pictureA knee-length cape draped on a black mannequin. Leaves and vines are woven into the deep wine-colored silk in thread of the same color, so the pattern emerges as the light shifts. On both sides of the front closure, wide bands embroidered in thickly built-up gold thread run down to the hem, studded with blue and green glass ornaments. The outer edge of the bands is a gold cord with a diagonal pattern. A square gold collar spreads over the shoulders; over the shoulder on the right of the picture a blue lining shows, and below, a striped lining peeks out. The cape flares out like a bell toward the bottom.

BackgroundAccording to the record, the materials are silk, metal, glass and cotton, the back length is 91.4 cm, and it is classified as a man's outer garment. In the maker field, Alejandro Velasco of Spain is listed as a "department store," a case in which the name of the seller rather than a workshop has come down to us. Bullfighters wear a parade cape decorated with gold thread for the entrance procession before the fight; unlike the cape used to face the bull, it is a garment meant to be seen. The Brooklyn Museum acquired it on its 1922 collecting expedition, and its accession number is close to that of a rose-embroidered coat from the same expedition. It was purchased with the Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund.

Puzzle tipWine red and gold separate clearly, but the wine-colored pieces are large and look alike. Fit the two vertical gold bands at the front and the square collar at the shoulders first, and the framework of the cape stands up. Fill in the wine-colored sides by the pattern of the silk and the direction of the fold shadows, and close off the bottom with the rounded curve of the hem. The black mannequin in the middle fills the vertical space between the gold bands. The wooden stand and gray background come last. 48 pieces is about right.