Purple and yellow waistcoat fragment

Status

Not on view

Date1780-1799

DimensionsOverall: 4 1/8 in. × 4 5/8 in. (10.48 cm × 11.75 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Lyttleton B. P. Gould, Jr., M. Chapin Krech, Dr. Shepard Krech, Alvin W. Krech, Peter Chapin, Charles Chapin, and Mrs. Charles Merrill Chapin III, in memory of Esther Maria Lewis Chapin, 1986

Object numberW-2981

DescriptionThough the fragment is faded, the original colors are evident on the reverse of the fabric. The ground was lavender with yellow and white warp stripes and white weft stripes, forming a plaid pattern with a small repeat. The white stripes in the weft direction are made with a thicker yarn, causing them to have a slightly raised effect. The ground fabric is composed of 4/1 satin weave, as are the warp stripes, since they are not supplementary. All yarns are S-spun. The weft stripes are secured in a 6/1 twill. The small repeat most likely dates the fabric to the 1780s-1790s.

This fragment is still attached to the original linen lining, as well as a piece of linen interfacing underneath the button. The linen is a balanced plain weave with Z-spun yarns. The lining is secured the left side of the fragment with running stitches. The face fabric is pressed under 1/8 inch to keep the lining from showing, suggesting that this edge was at the center closure of a waistcoat. The seam allowance is 1/4".

The button is covered in self fabric, which is secured with a white thread. The button itself is secured to the fragment with a thick 2-ply S thread of undyed linen.

There is a brown stain on the lining, a small amount of fraying along the edges, and a crease near the seamed edge.

Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.