Evening dress

Designer Elsa Schiaparelli Italian

Not on view

From Schiaparelli's summer 1939 collection, this unique dress references Schiaparelli's enduring attraction to heavenly themes. The pairs of embroidered keys are Peter's "keys of the kingdom of heaven" received from Christ, an interesting expression of her interest in the heavens. The pearl bead latticework along the neck and around the sleeves references sixteenth-century decoration, such as seen on Queen Elizabeth and Catherine de Medici's clothing, studded with pearls and jewels. Millicent Rogers, who’s chic knew no rival, was the original owner of this dress, and was a devoted Schiaparelli client.

Evening dress, Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973), silk, synthetic, rhinestones, metal, French

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Evening dress, Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973), silk, synthetic, rhinestones, metal, French
Evening dress, Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973), silk, synthetic, rhinestones, metal, French

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.