Evening dress
The splendid visual appeal of this dress increases its value, making it a piece of great interest. The textile used is very unique and it is unquestionably designed by Maria Monaci Gallenga. Her hallmark metallic stenciling never tarnished or flaked because it was applied with a special method devised by her husband, a professor at the University of Rome. For her gowns, adorned with detailed Gothic and Medieval motifs, she would use up to nine tones of gold and silver. The combination of the Old World textile and the modern tubular silhouette of the twenties make this piece unlike many others.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Design House: Gallenga (Italian, 1918–1974)
- Designer: Textile designed by Maria Monaci Gallenga (Italian, Rome 1880–1944 Umbria)
- Manufacturer: Attributed to Bonwit Teller & Co. (American, founded 1907)
- Date: 1927
- Culture: probably American
- Medium: silk, metal
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Gertrude Snell, 1962
- Object Number: 2009.300.310
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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