Antique Victorian Mourning Cape Black Silk Hip Cloak with Lace Ribbon Decoration

$145.00

Brand Poppy's Vintage Clothing

 

This is a striking Victorian cape or hip cloak, beautifully decorated with silk and lace ribbon.  The piece is cut with a wide flare to the bottom and has a collar made of silk satin ribbon.  It has four hook and eye closures at the neck and just below as well as silk ties at the neckline.  The piece is constructed with vertical stitching spaced at 3/8” intervals.  The interior is fully lined with a satin type of silk.  Black clothing worn during mourning was in vogue during the Victorian period, following the example of Queen Victoria who wore only black for many years after the loss of her husband Prince Albert.

Age:  Late Victorian era, circa 1865 - 1900.   

Color:  Black

Sizing: This should fit a range of medium sizes.  The piece measures 18” around the neckline, about 18” across the shoulders, and flares out to 80” along the bottom edge.  It has a length of 34” measured straight down the front.

Condition: The silk collar is deteriorating at the edges, typical for antique silk of this type - much of it, however, is intact, and this could be repaired to some degree or just left as is (see close-up photo).  The ties are also frayed close to the neck area.  The other issue is that the silk is separating from the stitching in one area at the lower left of the cape (see last close-up photos).  The damage is in an area that measures about 12” in width and 5” in height.  The silk covering the lower left edge of the opening is also split open, but this could be fairly easily repaired with some type of facing.  So, this would need some repair and restoration to the degree that you can restore it, but I think that it could be done by someone with some patience and sewing skills - the most difficult repair would be to the lower left area where the silk has separated from the stitching, but worse case scenario would be the use of glue to secure the area.  Silk of this age tends to be fragile, so taking that into consideration, this is in quite good condition - sold "as is".

Nice quality piece of Victorian mourning clothing - sure to make an impression!