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Exquisitely Embroiderered Antique Christening Cape browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques: Decorative Art: Textiles: Apparel: Pre 1910: item # 560179 GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear 56 Calle Monte Aplanado, NW Albuquerque, NM 87120 Phone: 505.205.1404 Guest Book $295 Free Insured Delivery to Any Country Where We Ship (& Gift-Wrap if Desired) |
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Among the most treasured family heirlooms are christening clothes: the long dresses also called robes (although they're lightweight and lacy) and the capes or mantles worn over them to keep the new baby warm enough. This English mantle is a spectacular example of the latter, most likely 19th century Victorian and certainly no later than Edwardian. Although at least 100 years old, it's in marvelous condition -- clear testament to how greatly it was prized.
Christening mantles have been fashioned since the 18th century, when they replaced enormous "bearing cloths" so long and heavy with sumptuous decoration that it took a team of ladies to carry them into the church. The attendants followed along behind the godmother, who held the child wrapped in one end of it. Although that custom ended, the desire to dress the baby like a prince or princess didn't. Parents wanted their precious little ones to make their debuts before God and society in the most lavish mantles they could afford. This one meets all the traditional criteria for excellence: luxurious white and off-white fabrics, meticulous hand-stitching and beautiful embellishments. Fine embroidery adorns both its large scalloped cape collar and the smaller one at the neck, and two rows of pintucked pleats add dimension all around the voluminous hemline. The cape is almost as lovely inside as out, lined with whiter material including long gores of shimmering shantung silk just inside the front opening. The same lining treatment also appears on the reverse of both collars. I'm not certain what the fabrics other than shantung are -- perhaps heavier silk; they're tightly woven and as soft as a caress. There are a few very faint spots (mainly inside), which any skilled dry cleaner should be able to remove easily, and you may want to add ribbon ties at the throat. Alternatively, you could fasten it with a 'beauty pin' as was done in Victorian times. We have one that would be perfect on a baby girl, hand-painted with pink roses, and simpler bar pins suitable for boys. Total length of the garment is 38 inches and it's so wide that I actually wore it once as an evening cape (to great acclaim), so keep this in mind if you'd like to get some extra use from it between family christenings. It would be stunning also as a bridal wrap for a cool-weather wedding. This is a truly remarkable piece of history, with lots more history to make. For this item, there will be no charge for insured delivery to any country where we ship. Gift-wrap is also free whenever desired, in case you're thinking of this as the Ultimate Baby Gift, which it certainly would be. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking! |
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