Evening belt

ca. 1938

Not on view

Schiaparelli often used her accessories 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. Here, she uses a bubbled plastic studded with pink painted stars. The celestial realm and astronomy were favorite themes of hers, and was present in many collections. There is another example in the Brooklyn Museum collection, also owned by the fashionable Millicent Rogers, in a different color (see 2009.300.3135).

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Title: Evening belt
Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973)
Date: ca. 1938
Culture: French
Medium: plastic (cellulose acetate), metal
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1951
Object Number: 2009.300.2764
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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Evening belt, Elsa Schiaparelli Italian, plastic (cellulose acetate), metal, French — Evening belt
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Evening dress, Elsa Schiaparelli Italian, silk, French — Evening dress
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Saint Peter's Seen From the Pincio, Rome, Henri-Joseph Harpignies French, Pen and black ink, brush, gray and blue-gray washes — Saint Peter's Seen From the Pincio, Rome
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1856

Sweater, Elsa Schiaparelli Italian, wool, leather, French — Sweater
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Violin or Viola Bow, Brazilwood, other materials, French — Violin or Viola Bow
French
late 19th or early 20th century

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