Vest

In the pictureThe garment lies on its side across a wide horizontal frame. On the left, the long sleevelike part is covered edge to edge with small flowers of twisted metallic thread, and toward the end of the sleeve are pointed arches drawn in thick lines with eye-shaped motifs inside them. On the right, the body is a purple velvet panel framed by a border of metallic-thread flowers, with several semicircles of metal cord around the neck. The velvet is crushed and worn, leaving it blotchy, and the metallic thread looks more green than gold. A cream lining fabric shows beyond the lower edge of the body panel, and a little red thread finishing is visible at the lower end of the sleeve.

BackgroundThe Met's record gives only the materials (silk, metallic thread, cotton), a date of the late 19th to early 20th century, and a length of 25.4 cm; the place of manufacture is left blank. Although it is titled Vest, the photograph shows a long sleevelike part attached, and judging by its length it is a very short top that ends below the chest. The image file name carries a B, meaning back, so this photograph appears to show the back; a photograph of the front exists separately. The green cast of the metallic thread may be the result of the metal discoloring over time. It was given by William H. Robinson in 1954.

Puzzle tipThe image divides into two colors, the purple of the velvet and the green of the metallic thread. Fit the purple velvet pieces and the floral border around them first, then fix the position with the semicircular cords at the neck. Join the sleeve pieces using the arch motifs as a guide, and fill the wide white background below by following the slanting lower outline of the sleeve. Even where the green is the same, the sleeve is densely packed with flowers while the body panel has bands, so density tells them apart. 48 pieces works well.