Design for Embroidery, Gentleman's Waistcoat Pocket
Classification
embroidery & stitching
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-324
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Design for Embroidery,man's Waistcoat Pocket* around 1785 hails from the renowned Fabrique de Saint Ruf in Lyon, France—a hub of textile innovation during the late Enlightenment era. Created as a pattern for stitching on a gentleman's waistcoat pocket, exemplifies the exquisite embroidery designs that elevated men's fashion to an art form. Lyon, famed for its silk weaving and intricate textile trades, produced such patterns for elite garments, blending functionality with opulent decoration. In the 1780s, just before the French Revolution, waistcoats were central to aristocratic...