The Ornamented Being
Ornamented: -verb: Adorn; beautify. Be·ing: -noun: Fulfillment of possibilities; essential completeness.
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Winged feminine figure. Bronze by sculptor Adolfo Apolloni 1904. Burial monument of the Calcagno family at the Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa - Italy.
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This looks like something Da Vinci would be proud of!
Parasol
Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973
c. 1937-40
The Met says: Parasols have been in fashion in the Western world since the seventeenth century. Most popular during the nineteenth century, they were used as both a shade from the sun and as a flirtation device. This example by Schiaparelli, owned by style icon Millicent Rogers, bears classic Schiaparelli characteristics of an unexpected shape combined with an unusual choice of materials. As this was most likely used to shield from the sun, perhaps while on holiday at Rogers’ Jamaican estate “Wharf House” or one of her family homes on Long Island, the materials carry out a beach theme, and are reminiscent of a straw beach hat. The asymmetric shape is indicative of Schiaparelli’s desire to design objects with an artistic quality. Bamboo, a wood more traditionally used for parasol handles, is used for the ribs, an unexpected twist. The canopy material, more commonly silk, cotton or linen, has the appearance of straw, again evoking the idea of a straw hat. The overall effect is very eye-catching and chic.
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Italian Court Ensemble
1857–60
Oh those beautiful Italians!
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“The authors of “Moda a Firenze” writes that it probably belonged to one of Eleonora’s lady-in-waitings. They are not able to match it to Eleonora’s “guardaroba” like her funeral dress - while it at the other hand seems to match the description of her ladies being dressed in “sottane di velluto cremisi” (crimson velvet dresses) in a ceremonial trip to Siena in 1560 (page 74-75). The Pisa team, on the other hand, seems quite determined that it was Eleonora’s dress, based on the fact that Cosimo I was patron of the San Matteo convent where it was found, the tailoring matching that of the funeral dress, and the use of crimson for high-ranked court lady only (of a law by 1562). Either how, as mentioned earlier, it’s not unlikely they both were made by Master Agostino, which would explain the extreme similarities in construction and details. ”
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“Just outside the time line of my preferred style, I still want to include this dress from Pisa. I found no exact dates on it. The first restoration team names it as “XVI sec., ultimo ventennio” (16th century, last two decades), but to my eye it looks more early 17th century. What’s interesting about it, apart from being an extant 400 years old dress, is that the construction in large correspond to the court dresses of the mid and late 16th century. The skirt flares towards the hem, the bodice has lacing in the side/back, and the shoulder straps are still short and wide. The biggest difference seems to be the front of the bodice, which by now has grown a lot longer and more dominant. This particular dress also comes from the San Matteo monastery, as the other Pisa dresses, and large chunks of the back is also missing here (though more of the skirt survives). Like the grey/blue day dress, the surviving pieces has been “filled in” with neutral fabric. ”
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I think some of you might enjoy tomorrows theme. Check out the tags for more hints.
“ Lace collar possibly cut loose from a camicia or a linen partlet (there are still linen strips in the bottom half, Venetian ca. 1610 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam). ”
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Woman’s Court Dress And Petticoat (robe a la francaise)
Italian, about 1775
MFA says: “Lilac ground with a brocaded design of waving lines, and of white silk and gold thread, and bunches of flowers woven with bright colored silks and silver and gold thread. The over-dress hangs from the shoulders in two box-plaits, and is trimmed with gold lace and rosettes of ribbon and silk suggesting flowers. The under-dress consists of an apron, arranged so as to give the effect of an under skirt.”
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Today is all about historical footwear!
c. 1550-1650
The Met says: The chopine was a tall clog worn in primarily in Venice to elevate the lady above both the dirt and the hoi polloi of the street. While relatively few shoes survive from the period of the 15th to 17th century, chopines are inordinately represented in museum collections as they were saved most probably due to their outlandish peculiarity. This exemplar illustrates all the classical characteristics of this specialized form: red or green velvet covering, lobed platform sole trimmed in gold lace with hobnails, gold braid edging, shirred ribbon trim on the vamp, and beard-like tassel below the open toe.
