March 1, 2016

Object: Mantle

Designer: Charles Frederick Worth

Medium: Silk Velvet, Metallic Thread, Glass Beads

Date: Circa 1883

Country: France

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Paul Denckla Mills

This mantle was created during the third bustle-period, when the fashionable silhouette centered on a dramatically draped and accentuated posterior. Con-structed from a sumptuous voided velvet, the ornament is concentrated on the back and shoulders to draw attention to the fashionable bustle silhouette. Charles Frederick Worth, the maker of this mantle, is widely acknowledged as the founder of the French Couture.