Description:
Man's sleeved waistcoat of green figured silk (possibly droguet) believed to have been worn by Doctor William Stoddard Williams (1760-1829) of Deerfield at his marriage to Mary Hoyt (1762-1821) in 1782. The pattern of the silk on the body of the waistcoat is a monochromatic woven design of stylized leaves, which is nearly identical to the coral pink silk of the wedding waistcoat worn by John Worthington of Springfield in 1759. There is a rounded neckline and ten small, rounded silk fabric buttons down the center front, ending at the waist. The closure consists of a flap that disguises the button, known as a French closure. This style is rare in portraiture and even more unusual in surviving clothing. HD has a white linen corded-quilted white-work waistcoat of the 1730s which is closed in this manner. There are two scalloped hip level flap pockets at the front, and three open vents in the skirts; the back is made of the green silk taffeta. The sleeves, which are curved to follow the natural bend in the arm, are made from a solid-colored matching green silk taffeta; the cuffs (5 1/4" wide) are made with the figured silk. The body of waistcoat and the sleeves are lined in linen; the facings, skirts, pocket flaps and sleeve cuffs are lined in a stiff, off-white wool.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.080.1 |
