12th Dec, 2023 9:30

Passion for Fashion

 
Lot 62
 

A rare infant's pierced iron corset, probably French, early 17th century

of pieced sheet metal, the back panel with curved sides, hinged front panels with additional welded points to the front waist, with decorative circle and diamonds perforations over all, two front closure straps with a series of notches to adjust the girth at chest and waist, a pair of rivetted flanges to the rear waist, presumably for tying additional cords or ribbons, overall length 31cm, 12in, circumference 51cm, 21in

These metal corsets were not made by traditional stay makers but by specialists skilled in the manufacture of suits of armour.

In medieval French the word ‘corset’ referred to doublets and gowns, as well as body armour. The link between iron corsets and armour is reinforced by their presence in armoury collections at the Museo Stibbert, Florence and the Wallace Collection, London.

Although at first glance they look rather uncomfortable and barbaric, they would have originally been covered by padding and soft fabrics such as silk or velvet. However, it is rare to find these outer textile coverings intact. Iron corsets began to appear from the 15th century onwards and around the world only around 15 are known to exist in museum collections.The Italian noblewoman Catherine Sforza (1463-1509), as other noblewomen around her, had an iron corset (preserved at the Forlì Museum) She is is the first lady reported wearing those corsets. Good posture had to be impressed upon the body from the outside, starting with swaddling, when newborns and infants were tightly wrapped in lengths of fabric to ensure their bodies and limbs would grow straight. The use of metal to reinforce and enhance the tailoring of fashion garments such as corsets also highlights the period’s emphasis on clothing that moulded the body

This corset has very straight back and front panels and an emphasised pointed waist. A straight back was especially valued in early modern Europe because an upright appearance was seen as a physical manifestation of good character, for men and women alike. There are signs of this corset being actually worn as there is a repaired split to the rear waist side.

Several 17th-century sources specifically refer to “iron bodies” as garments that helped adult women (and sometimes men) to make their torsos more beautiful. Many of these writings are also moralising in tone. A sermon from 1632 states that “when men and womens bodies be crooked and deformed, they weare iron bodies, and will endure any thing to make them straight again...”

Although some iron corsets were definitely made for orthopaedic purposes, others were probably made purely as fashion aids.

Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), wife of Henry II, is believed to have introduced the metal corset from Italy into France as an aesthetic aid to produce a ramrod straight posture and to help hold in place the heavy velvets and silks she liked to wear. It is also believed that her daughter, Marguerite de Navarre (1553-1616), first wife of Henry IV, also wore an iron corset. In 1549, at the age of 27, Eleanor of Toledo (1522–62), wife of Cosimo I de Medici, ordered two iron corsets from her armourer, Master Lorenzo. But there is no record that she had any spinal deformities, so her corsets were unlikely to be for orthopaedic purposes. French historian Daniel Roche notes that the nobility “valorized the norms of stiffness and self-control” in contrast to the bodies of lower-class people, who “were bent by hardship and toil, or enjoyed a freedom unrestricted by etiquette ”. Bronzino’s famous portrait of Eleanor depicts a noblewoman dressed in luxurious silks and velvets with an impeccably straight posture and it is possible that she wore a metal corset to achieve this perfection.

Whether the iron corset was an orthopaedic corrective, an instrument of moral and physical restraint, a fashionable garment, or a sexual fetish, its history continues to fascinate and intrigue us. Metal corsets are extremely rare with examples included in the Musées des Arts Décoratifs and Cluny Museum in Paris; the Musée de Rouen; Stibbert Museum, Florence; the Kyoto Costume Institute; the York Castle Museum; the Wallace and Wellcome collections in London.

The perforations in this corset are similar to an 18th century female example at the Victoria & Albert museum - T.231-1914. However, their example is for an adult female and more shaped.

The Ecouen Musée National de la Renaissance, holds an adult female's metal corset dated 1590, supposed to have belonged to Catherine de Medici, which also does not appear to be used for orthopaedic use, but as a fashion aid - E.CI.2860.

The Musée le Sec des Tournelles also includes a 16th century iron corset with padded velvet edges, similar closure straps, which also does not appear to be for orhopaedic use LS 3936.

We are unaware of the existence of another miniature child’s metal corset such as this one

Sold for £10,400

Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)


 

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If Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd sells an item of Property which is later shown to be a “Counterfeit”, subject to the terms below Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd will rescind the sale and refund the Buyer the total amount paid by the Buyer to Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd for that Property, up to a maximum of the Purchase Price.

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“Counterfeit” means an item of Property that in Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd ‘s reasonable opinion is an imitation created with the intent to deceive over the authorship, origin, date, age, period, culture or source, where the correct description of such matters is not included in the catalogue description for the Property.
Property shall not be considered Counterfeit solely because of any damage and/or restoration and/or modification work .

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(i) the catalogue description was in accordance with the generally acceptedopinions of scholars and experts at the date of the sale, or the catalogue description indicated that there was a conflict of such opinions; or
(ii) the only method of establishing at the date of the sale that the item was a Counterfeit would have been by means of processes not then generally available or accepted, unreasonably expensive or impractical; or likely to have caused damage to or loss in value to the Property (in Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd’s reasonable opinion); or
(iii) there has been no material loss in value of the Property from its value had it  accorded with its catalogue description.

To claim under this Guarantee, the Buyer must:-
(i) notify Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd in writing within one (1) month of receiving any information that causes the Buyer to
question the authenticity or attribution of the Property, specifying the lot number,
date of the auction at which it was
purchased and the reasons why it is believed to be Counterfeit; and
(ii) return the Property to Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd in the same condition as at the date of sale and be able to transfer good title in the Property, free from any third party claims arising after the date of the sale.

Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd has discretion to waive any of the above requirements. Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd may require the Buyer to obtain at the Buyer’s cost the reports of two independent and recognised experts in the relevant field. Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd shall not be bound by any reports produced by the Buyer, and reserves the right to seek additional expert advice at its own expense. In the event Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd decides to rescind the sale under this Guarantee, it may refund to the Buyer the reasonable costs of up to two mutually approved independent expert reports, provided always that the costs of such reports have been approved in advance and in writing by Kerry Taylor Auctions Ltd.

 

Last updated: 23rd May 2014

 
 

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