Can anyone ID this very old ballet costume?

[Guest Glenda]

This lovely cotume was a gift to me by an elderly friend who believes it was worn by either a Russian or Polish ballet dancer. I know nothing (well,more now than prior to receiving this costume!) about Ballet costumes. Some details:

It is silk.

It has 2 sets of 'fly'buttons-one on the inside and one on the outside;

In pencil, oldish script, on the collar of the brocade jacket: S_____areski

On the trouser wistband: PAV_____, we think PAVLOWA

There are'saddlebags"of sawdust/hay sewn into the hip are of the pants.

The fringe is made of intricately woven metallic threads, silver on the bottom and gold on the top.The workmanship is amazing.

All other closures are hooks and eyes or buckles.

I truly hope I can find this lovely piece of history an apprpriate home.

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1409.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1412.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1411.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1413.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1412.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1407.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1408.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1404.jpg

MANY thanks for any insight!Glenda

glendafisher@adelphia.net

[Mel Johnson]

It's very odd that the metals in the various trims should remain bright, if this were a costume from any length of time ago. It doesn't look like a woman's costume, besides; it looks more like somebody's attempt at Elizabethan male tunic, slops and pantaloons.

[Mme. Hermine]

if it's old, it looks, as mel said, like the ribbons, etc., are newer. also very old materials sometimes shred, especially if someone's been hanging them up. what it looks like to me is some sort of page's or attendant's costume from a ballet like sleeping beauty, made either for a woman portraying a young man or a larger child. what do you think mel?

[Juliet]

This looks likr a costume for a page (a la Cherubino) or a woman en travestie, rather than a woman's costume per se.

The 'saddlebags' are used to give pouf and definition to the hip (for a boy or slim dancer)

It looks to be around turn of the century-to 1920s or so. It would have had a blouse or shirt worn underneath, I would think. High Louis-heeled buckled shoes (gold, silver, white brocade or red) would have been lovely with it.

The handwriting looks European--I believe it is a 'g' before the 'eski' (which would indicate Polish, rather than Russian.)

Was your friend associated with ballet or theatre? This might help with identification.

Best of luck....

Juliet

[Mel Johnson]

And then again, if it's "eski" rather than "eska", we're talking the possibility of male, but that doesn't always hold true.

Mel

Great-grandson of Amalie Witski

[Guest Glenda]

WOW! Thank you all so much! I, too, find it odd that the silver is so very bright. Sadly, the knees and crotch are are disintegrating and are VERY frail to the touch. Oddly, (considering the brightness) the fringe looks as if it IS original to the piece- the stitching is the same as the brocade work on the jacket and along all the hemlines. The letters following the first letter (is that an "S"?) S_____(are almost certainly)____ARESKI.

Why 2 names? the waist band of the pants- ___75, and A or M PAVLOWA or Pav___owa. To me, who knows nothing about this, it looks very male-like-although it is SO tiny....but then,everything is relative, I have had 4 children!

Again, my sincerest gratitude for your help.

Glenda

[Guest Glenda]

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1406.jpg

Maybe this is a better view.

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/G...yf/IMGA1405.jpg

Very faint-PAV__OWA ____75

[JaneD]

Just a thought - the first letter could be a copperplate-ish I or J rather than an S.

Jane

[Mel Johnson]

That is a possibility, Jane, but you also bring up an interesting calligraphic point. The cloth appears to have been marked with a "copperplate" split pen nib, with its peculiar thicks and thins derived from pressure on the point!

[Juliet]

The ribbons could very well have been replaced--metallic thread and metallic trims always fray much sooner and are always being replaceed. Rather than redo an entire costume, it is relatively easy to replace ribbons/trim. Fringe can be taken off and cleaned, but the fringe on the legs would not have gotten much wear and probably remains in fairly good condition.

I've worked on a lot of very old costumes and textiles and frequently one can simply mend tears or frays with matching threads or spare pieces of the trims. This is one reason why costumers haunt old fabric stores, estate sales, etc--we have huge stashes of old furbelows!

It is a lovely costume--hope you enjoy it!!!

Juliet

[Dance_Scholar_London]

I am a fashion historian specialised in ballet costumes but for a proper analysis of the garment I would need to have to see it with my own eyes - and not just as a picture. Therefore, I would recommend to bring it to a museum which has a costume department. I know that the London museum has done intensive research about Pavlova´s costumes; they could tell you for sure if it is from her or not. I could establish some contacts and give you the name of the person you would have to contact. PM me.

However, treat the costume careful. Most people make the mistake and wash or dry-clean an ancient costume in order to make it more clean before they show it to a museum. PLEASE dont do it. If it is from Pavlova times, it is around a century old and would certainly fall apart. If you decide to keep it at home, store it in a dry place, same constant temperature and best is NO light - light does not only trigger fading of colours, costumes will literally fall apart over the times.

Hope this was helpful

[Mel Johnson]

And as it's primarily silk, it would be best if it were stored in an acid-free, non-buffered (pH 7.0) box. Preferably the inside of the costume should be loosely stuffed with acid-free tissue. Both acids and bases are very bad for proteinaceous fibers.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Be also careful with the metal - if it is too humid you will have stains of rust in a very short time. Best would really be to ask at a local museum about storage possibilities - costume historians are usually quite helpful. Let me know if you find something out about its heritage B)