GENERAL DESCRIPTION
By the mid-eighteenth century, women’s dressing tables displayed the height of exotic luxury in the rococo taste. With its fine draperies and expensive accoutrements, the dressing table rivaled the state bed and sideboard as a stage for dazzling extravagance.
Created in the late-eighteenth century, this polished steel bodkin was included as part of a lavish porcelain and gilded silver dressing box, or toilette set, (see 1995.22.1.A-I) designed by Charles Gouyn and made by St. James's Factory in London, England. Many toilette sets included a variety of objects such as scent-bottles, snuffboxes, sewing materials, brushes and combs, jewelry, various containers for cosmetics and powders, and writing accessories.
This bodkin may have been used to lace ribbons and re-thread drawstrings and cords. A bodkin oftentimes was placed inside an etui, or small container to protect it from loss or damage.
Drawn from:
- Douglas Hawes, "Dressing casket with accessorie" in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Charles Venable (New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press, 1997), 204.
- Bonnie Pitman, ed. "Dressing casket with accessories" in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 162.
- Kevin W. Tucker, Label Copy, Margot B. Perot Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, August 2004
- "Important Silver and Objects of Vertu including Works of Art from Houghton" in Christie's Catalogue (London: December 8, 1994), 12.
NOTES
This note was submitted but not tagged with a status by Megan Wanttie, summer 2016. I am tagging with #incomplete so that the note can be reviewed for formatting, tags, and text. I am also adding department tags so that the note can be routed. (EAS, 08/26/2016)
This object could be categorized as two separate objects with different functions based on the name - either as an object used to re-thread various things, or as a hairpin. Based on research into both of these kinds of objects, this piece is more visually similar to the 'bodkin' used to re-thread ribbons, drawstrings, and cords rather than a hairpin.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Gold-mounted
Steel
Wrought
Modeled
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
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Apply to objects where number equals 1995.22.21
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General Description
By the mid-eighteenth century, women’s dressing tables displayed the height of exotic luxury in the rococo taste. With its fine draperies and expensive accoutrements, the dressing table rivaled the state bed and sideboard as a stage for dazzling extravagance.
Created in the late-eighteenth century, this polished steel bodkin was included as part of a lavish porcelain and gilded silver dressing box, or toilette set, (see 1995.22.1.A-I) designed by Charles Gouyn and made by St. James's Factory in London, England. Many toilette sets included a variety of objects such as scent-bottles, snuffboxes, sewing materials, brushes and combs, jewelry, various containers for cosmetics and powders, and writing accessories.
This bodkin may have been used to lace ribbons and re-thread drawstrings and cords. A bodkin oftentimes was placed inside an etui, or small container to protect it from loss or damage.
Drawn from:
- Douglas Hawes, "Dressing casket with accessorie" in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Charles Venable (New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press, 1997), 204.
- Bonnie Pitman, ed. "Dressing casket with accessories" in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 162.
- Kevin W. Tucker, Label Copy, Margot B. Perot Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, August 2004
- "Important Silver and Objects of Vertu including Works of Art from Houghton" in Christie's Catalogue (London: December 8, 1994), 12.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
This note was submitted but not tagged with a status by Megan Wanttie, summer 2016. I am tagging with #incomplete so that the note can be reviewed for formatting, tags, and text. I am also adding department tags so that the note can be routed. (EAS, 08/26/2016)
This object could be categorized as two separate objects with different functions based on the name - either as an object used to re-thread various things, or as a hairpin. Based on research into both of these kinds of objects, this piece is more visually similar to the 'bodkin' used to re-thread ribbons, drawstrings, and cords rather than a hairpin.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Gold-mounted
Steel
Wrought
Modeled
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1995.22.21
source file
object_notes_1_a-0130.xml.nores