1915/1925
Venise Italy

A short kaftan coat with kimono sleeves in mandarin silk velvet. Gold printing of large cartridges with stylized floral decoration. Beige satin silk lining. Collar tied with a bicolor braid ended by two white Murano glass beads. Fortuny black printed label on gold. To note the Delphos dress of Mariano Fortuny on the photos is not included in this sale. Excellent condition of color and conservation.

Dimensions: Equivalent french size 38 Front height 91 cm Back height 94 cm Shoulders 36 cm Sleeves 64 cm Chest 92 cm Bottom of kaftan 196 cm

Positive Points: 

Mariano Fortuny dressed the European artistic elite. He was above all an inventor of genius drawing his inspiration from Design and the Italian Renaissance through an assumed Ottoman and Eastern influence. He was not only a fashion designer, but also an Opera set designer, interior decorator, light inventor, publisher of his famous gold and silver prints on cotton or velvet. He has registered several patents of invention thus feeding the main artistic branchs of the twentieth century such as Surrealism and Dadaism. The cuts of his evening coats are inspired by burnous, kaftans and djellabas drawing from the Byzantine, Coptic and Indian repertoire with a special favor for the Lucca illuminations of Italy of the fifteenth century.

Negative Points: 

Kaftan of an exceptional freshness. Non-oxidized gold printing. Perfect condition of conservation except a repairs of stabilization of the lining above the Mariano Fortuny label. No other defects. Very clean.