Fashion — 1640-1649
Undershirt, waistcoat
A rare survival of a high quality mid-seventeenth century vest or ‘waistcoat’ knitted of fine, pale blue-green coloured silk, said to have been worn by Charles I at his execution by beheading on January 30th, 1649. It is shaped like a long sleeve vest and has a short buttoned neck opening and small upstanding collar. This kind of garment was presumably worn for warmth over a fine linen shirt and underneath a doublet and therefore does not appear in most contemporary images.
The stains on the front of the waistcoat were tested in 1959 and 1989 for blood, with inconclusive results. They 'fluoresce' under UV light like body fluids but could be sweat, vomit or another substance. Further testing was exhaustively discussed in 2010 but was decided against as the tests have not changed significantly, and the shirt has been handled too much for DNA testing. Rev. J Leigh Bennett records in 1828 that Mrs. Hardy, widow of Temple Hardy, was 'unwilling to part with [the shirt] anymore, because it is so much soiled and defaced by having been lent to different friends' so the stains may be much later. Perhaps future technology will be able to identify the stains.
- Category:
- Fashion
- Object ID:
- A27050
- Object name:
- undershirt, waistcoat
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1640-1649
- Material:
silk, wood
- Measurements/duration:
- L 800 mm, W 440 mm (chest), W 700 mm (hem), L 525 mm (sleeve), L 590 mm (side seam), L 210 mm (neck opening), W 215 mm (sleeve head), CM 230 mm (cuff) (overall), L 840 mm, W 750 mm (with arms by sides) (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.