Stays
Date1750s (made); 1790s (altered)
MediumSilk, linen, reed, paper
DimensionsOL 14 ¾ in.
Bust approx. 31 in.
Waist approx. 21 ½ in.
Bust approx. 31 in.
Waist approx. 21 ½ in.
Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA
Object number2023-141
DescriptionStays with shoulder straps covered in blue silk brocade with pink, green, and brown floral pattern. The stays lace in front and back. Stays are lined in linen and paper with additional lining at the bust and armscye. Stays are boned with reed. Stays lace up the front and back. Padded rolls on each side over the hips. There are metal rings at the shoulders, likely a later addition. Tabs at hips were likely added after original construction. Lacing is not original to the stays.Construction History:
1. Stays first constructed ca. 1750s.
2. Placement of tabs at hips altered. Padded rolls and metal rings likely added. Potentially ca. 1790s.Label TextThis pair of stays shows signs of alteration, particularly in the placement of the tabs at the waist. It is possible that the stays were constructed for a fashionable silhouette of the mid-18th century, then adapted as the ideal silhouette changed later in the century. The floral silk brocade covering the stays gives it an eye-catching appearance.Inscription(s)There are a variety of numbers written or stamped on the linen lining of the stays:
__ 23
20
1013
110 21ProvenancePrior to 1959, Gertrude Pollard Clarke [1883-1959] (Richmond, VA); 1959 passed by descent to Gertrude Murrell [1910-2016] (Greenwich, CT); 1968 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)
