Evening belt
Schiaparelli often used her accessories, particularly belts, as avenues of expression for her Surrealist ideals. Buckles, clasps, decorations and belts themselves were made of unusual materials, such as plastic and plaster, and in quirky shapes that could elicit a viewer’s double-take. To pair such an off-beat accessory with a couture garment was just the kind of humorous irony Schiaparelli enjoyed incorporating into her work.
The "blackamoor" figure, usually depicted in bust form as a brooch, was very popular in the early 20th century, evoking what Westerners considered to be the exoticism of the Moors and other Far Eastern cultures. The motif was usually seen in jewelry or sculpture, so it’s intriguing, albeit typical of her design sensibility, that Schiaparelli uses the form on a belt. The embroidery, executed in bright colors contrasting against the rust suede base, is an unusual form, employing three-dimensional glass elements on the flat surface of the belt, typical of Schiaparelli's desire to use novel materials in a provocative setting.
The "blackamoor" figure, usually depicted in bust form as a brooch, was very popular in the early 20th century, evoking what Westerners considered to be the exoticism of the Moors and other Far Eastern cultures. The motif was usually seen in jewelry or sculpture, so it’s intriguing, albeit typical of her design sensibility, that Schiaparelli uses the form on a belt. The embroidery, executed in bright colors contrasting against the rust suede base, is an unusual form, employing three-dimensional glass elements on the flat surface of the belt, typical of Schiaparelli's desire to use novel materials in a provocative setting.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening belt
- Design House: Schiaparelli (French, founded 1927)
- Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973)
- Date: ca. 1938
- Culture: French
- Medium: leather, metal, glass
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1955
- Object Number: 2009.300.1230
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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