Object History
This Hungarian heavily embellished waistcoat dating back to c. the 1920s with heavy embroidered and gold trimmed embellishment was purchased from an independent dealer in London by Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli 2017. It was added to The Zay Initiative to enhance its collection.
Object Features
This is a man’s waistcoat in black silk in (satin) weave heavily embroidered in (satin_stitch) embroidery with silk floss threads in shades of red, yellow, pink, ivory and grey and two panels of (couching) embroidery in metal threads possibly gold and silver.
The front of the waistcoat is heavily embroidered in large floral motifs mostly peonies. The bottom of the embroidered section is edged with two tiers of metal trimmings. The first tier forms a trellis pattern with scalloped edges done in couching embroidery with metal threads. The next tier is embellished with a series of flowers in silver and gold metal threads with a sequin in the middle of each flower.
This is edged with a woven ribbon in gold brocade depicting a central wavy vine flanked with foliage. This gold ribbon runs along the middle parting on both sides of the zip closure and around the collar. The collar is stiff possibly lined with whale bone and is made of dark blue felt that runs along the shoulders in sharp and smart thin panels.
The back of the waistcoat is plain black satin. It is lined with a plain ivory satin fabric. Although it is not padded or quilted, it has a thick front possibly because it has a felt lining between the ivory satin lining and the black satin front. Like any other waistcoat, it has an adjustable belt at the back in black satin.
It is important to note how the satin_stitch embroidery and the gold metal thread work or couching shares such close similarities to costumes from the Middle and the Far East.
Although it had been suggested by the previous owner that it was a Hungarian military waistcoat, there are no evidence to support such a claim. However, heavy satin_stitch embroidered embellishment such as this was quite prevalent on Hungarian vests and waistcoats of the 18th and 19th centuries, which were inspired by the Hussar regiment uniforms.
The Hussars were originally formed by bands of Serbian warriors in retaliation for the Ottoman conquest of Serbia. As a military regiment their strength and tactic were inspired by the Ottoman cavalry and possibly so were the embellishment on their uniforms.
Another possible theory is that it was possibly a (Manila_shawl) that had been repurposed as a waistcoat. Either way, this waistcoat is a perfect example of a homogenous cultural dissemination all the way from the Far East through the Middle and Near East to Europe.
Links
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/159049
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/159160
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/173303
- Refi, Atila; The Croatian-Slavonic Grenz (Border) Hussars’ Role in the Campaigns 1793–94 against the Revolutionary France or the history of the cavalry for the Wurmser Freikorps*; FIVE CONTINENTS; Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian
- Academy of Sciences, Department of Modern and Contemporary History; No 2012/2. ELTE, BUDAPEST, 2013; http://real.mtak.hu/8029/1/17-Rfi.pdf
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