Evening dress

Maria Monaci Gallenga|Bonwit Teller & Co.

1927 · silk, metal · Costume Institute

The splendid visual appeal of this dress increases its value, making it a piece of great interest. The textile used is very unique and it is unquestionably designed by Maria Monaci Gallenga. Her hallmark metallic stenciling never tarnished or flaked because it was applied with a special method devised by her husband, a professor at the University of Rome. For her gowns, adorned with detailed Gothic and Medieval motifs, she would use up to nine tones of gold and silver. The combination of the Old World textile and the modern tubular silhouette of the twenties make this piece unlike many others.

Artist

Maria Monaci Gallenga|Bonwit Teller & Co.

Date

1927

Medium

silk, metal

Culture

probably American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Gertrude Snell, 1962