Artwork Details
center back 46 in., center front 39 in., shoulders 14-1/2 in. (variable)
Accession NumberJane Wacker Memorial Fund
CopyrightEstate of Lucile Drinkwater Allen (Mrs. C. Walter), Denver, Colorado. Denver Art Museum, accessioned 1965, deaccessioned 2005. [Charles A. Qhitaker Auction Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], 28 November 2005 Sale (lot 800); purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2006.
This evening cape is constructed of two 45-inch-wide lengths of silk crepe sewn together vertically and then ingeniously gathered and knotted to form a cape. The color of the silk crepe changes from black to cream, with metallic brocade covering the transition area.
The influence of Japanese art is evident in the construction and drape of the cape and the use of the chrysanthemum motif. Chanel combined Art Deco aesthetics along with East Asian forms and techniques to create a critically modernistic look.
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto
Victoria and Albert Museum
September 16, 2023 - February 25, 2024
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