Item 2021.21.1 - Three Piece Brown Velvet Boy's Suit - Coat

2021.21.1

Three Piece Brown Velvet Boy's Suit - Coat

Item

1

Boy's brown velvet coat, part of three piece suit in the style of eighteenth century menswear. It has cut steel buttons (corroded) down the front, smaller cut steel buttons at the centre back waist and at the cuffs. There are cream pleated fills at each sleeve cuff and it is lined in brown cotton sateen.

Well-made fancy-dress suit for a boy aged 12-13 years old with accurate late 18th century detailing such as the cut-steel buttons, braiding, cuffs and collar on the coat. The deep brown colour of the velvet and the lining fabric indicate that this is probably 1880s-1890s in date, much earlier than previously thought.