Jacket, dressing jacket

Quilted and embroidered silk dressing jacket, c. 1898. Made in Japan for the Western market.

The jacket has a turn-down collar and leg-of-mutton sleeves. The toggle and loop fastenings are made from purple and cerise silk cord arranged down the centre front edges like frogging. Silk cords finished with small pom-poms hang from the fronts at the neck. There is a pocket on each hip. This garment is similar to embroidered and quilted dressing gowns in other museum collections, which have been identified as being produced in Japan for the Western market. The japonisme style floral pattern of the embroidery and the jacket's European cut support this attribution.

The jacket is very similar to one advertised in 'Yuletide Gift', a Christmas catalogue produced by Liberty & Co in 1898. A fully embroidered jacket similar to this one but with no hanging cords cost 27s 6d. The catalogue states, 'The shapes are reproductions of models sent out to Japan by MESSRS LIBERTY & C. for the guidance of the native manufacturers. The Shapes, Styles and Fittings are adapted for Western use....Handsewn, Comfortable and Inexpensive'.