Bodice, jacket

Woman's close-fitting long sleeved jacket, with centre-front fastening and a round neck, embroidered with fine black wool in a pattern of barberries.

The body is cut with a fairly narrow back panel and two side-fronts. The shaping is achieved along the seam lines and centre-front opening and by the insertion of seven gussets (150mm high) along the lower edge; one in the centre back, two in the seams between the back and side-front panels and two in each of the side fronts. The fairly close-fitting sleeves are cut in two pieces and are shaped to fit around the elbow; they have slit openings (85mm) at the wrists. The sleeves have been lengthened by the addition of strips of plain linen (18mm wide) at the tops. The plain linen is hidden by the shoulder wings which come over the top and and sides of the arm holes. The jacket is of linen embroidered with fine black wool in stem, speckling and blanket stitches. All over pattern of sprigs of red barberry, each sprig being 75 x 65 mm. The edges are oversewn in blanket stitch and the main seams (down the back of the arms and between the back and side fronts) and the two gussets between the main panels are defined by decorative lines with diamond fillings. The embroidery was worked to shape after the insertion of the gussets and is of a fine quality. The jacket is lined with slightly coarser linen which is slip-stitched into place. It is not clear how the jacket was fastened.