Ensemble

Unknown

ca. 1830 · silk · Costume Institute

Not only is this banyan a good example of man's ornate leisure wear, but it also illustrates how fine dress silks from the previous century were recycled in the nineteenth century. This is evidenced in the style of the two pieces and the creases and piecing in the fabric, indicating it is from a former garment. Men were often depicted in portraits wearing banyans, for it made an illusion to a gentleman's high rank, general intellect, and social status.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1830

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Sterling Peters, 1924