Dolman - from the wardrobe of István Esterházy

The dolman ends above the knees, has an upright collar and straight cut shoulders the sleeves have a long, narrow flap, hanging from the shoulders. It has cut seams, with slits on the bottom and on the sides. The whole surface is covered with two kinds of lace bands, made of pillow lace of gold and silver thread. The pattern of one of the lace bands is: a wavy stem made of thicker gilt thread, with volutes and golden foliage in a chess-pattern among them are stylized flowers with loop and chess-shaped silver petals, made of silver thread. On the other band are smaller and larger silver, symmetrical tulips surrounded by a golden stem. The fields are covered with volutes. On the front are 17 oval, light-green, enamelled buttons with almandines on them. On the other side are loops made of gilt thread, with an acorn end. The slits of both sleeves fasten with ten buttons made of golden thread and loops. It appears in the 1725 Frakno inventory of the Esterhazy family: "A dolman of blue velvet, embroidered with gold and silver lace, with 18 golden buttons with rubies." (Inventarium Thesauri Fraknensis Anno 1725. Almarium Sub. Nris. 79 et 80. Nro. 14. — Inventory of the Museum of Applied Arts 236 / 1957.). Its companion piece is in the Esterhazy collection, is of red cut velvet, and has a surface similarly covered with a pillow lace of thread. (Inv. No. 52.2377).