Embroidered Lady’s Waistcoat, ca. 1700
Probably London, England
Silk embroidery on linen ground
Lent by Cora Ginsburg LLC

In their bedchambers ladies wore informal attire as they sat at their dressing tables and toilet mirrors. A tight-fitting waistcoat like the example seen here was a casual alternative to the stiff corset worn when fully dressed. The embroidered Chinoiserie figures featured on this waistcoat might have matched the playful spirit of other decorative items in the bed chamber like a japanned toilet set or chest of drawers.