Terms and conditions of use
Burnous
(c. 1910)
Medium
silk satin, cotton, metal (hook and eye), silk (thread, cord, tassel)
Measurements
112.5 cm (centre back) 467.0 cm (hem circumference)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of David Syme & Co. Limited, Fellow, 1977
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
The burnous – a long, flowing cloak of Arab and Moorish descent – quickly became a popular staple of the London department store Liberty & Co. in the early 1900s. The boldly delineated pattern of flora in warm and subtle tones, coupled with the exotic cut of the garment itself, harks back to the artful simplicities of pre-industrial times. In its allegiance to the handmade, the Burnous belies nostalgia for the artisanal legacy of medieval Europe, as well as enchantment with the splendour of the Far East.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
London, England
Inscription
label, inside centre left back, stitched (vertically) in yellow on cream silk: LIBERTY & CO / LONDON & PARIS
Accession Number
D85-1977
Department
International Fashion and Textiles
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest
Physical description
Burnous of fawn silk satin. One length of fabric has been folded so that the selvedge edge becomes the centre front. The hem is machine stitched. The neck hole is located between the stitched join of the hood and two large silk satin buttons that fasten with a cord. When worn the hood and tassle drape down the wearer’s back. An eight-centimetre band of eastern-inspired embroidery – featuring stem stitch, chain stitch and satin stitch – in silk floss on cotton muslin ground runs along this entire length.