Description:
Fitted red silk sleeveless bodice, unboned, known as a corps de jupe (skirt bodice) in French, or jumps in English, which would have been worn over the stays and chemise as a decorative outer top to the petticoat or skirt. This example is made from an elaborate, though reused, brocaded silk. In addition to the floral brocaded design, the red ground is further embellished with metallic (metal wrapped around a silken core) embroidery. Enough of the expensive silk remained for the maker, most likely a dressmaker, to symmetrically match the pattern. The front lacing holes inside are faced with a block-printed and hand-painted pencil blue cotton or linen fabric. The reuse of an elaborate textile into a new, more utilitarian garment was a common practice well into the 20th century for both men and women. For depictions of French women wearing similar garments, see Antoine Raspal's painting Un Atelier de couture en Arles, ca. 1785. An earlier form of this garment could be what is referred to as a waistcoat for women in early 18th-century New England probate records. Jumps weer a form of informal attire for women that may also have facilitated pregnancy.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.299 |
