{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1115578"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1115578/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA6304/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA6304/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EA6304","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6303","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6302","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6301","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6300","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6279","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6277","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6276","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6260","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6253","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6251","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EA6203","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG2819","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ8607","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1115578/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1115578","accessionNumber":"S.751&A-1980","objectType":"Theatre costume","titles":[{"title":"Costume for a Warrior in Léonide Massine's ballet <i>Le Chant du rossignol</i>","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This costume for one of six warriors  in Leonide Massine's ballet <i>Le Chant du rossignol</i> (The Song of the Nightingale) was designed by Henri Matisse first produced by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes to a score by Igor Stravinsky in 1920 when it received a total of 9 performances in Paris and London. The costumes were reused for George Balanchine's slightly more successful new version in 1925. Millicent Hodson ad Kenneth Archer have noted that Matisse based the Warrior's costumes on 'the guardian kings of Buddhist ritual who protected the cardinal points of sacred spaces'. It is likely that Matisse had seen such polychrome wooden figures retrieved from cave temples in western China at the Musee Guimet in Paris. From these he 'copied their armour and dragon-mouth sleeves, wigs, beards and possibly the terracotta of their skins'. \r\n\r\nSerge Diaghilev, was famous for using painters to design productions for his ballet company, although many, like Matisse had never designed for the stage before.  \r\nMatisse's spare style and subtle use of colour proved ideal for the ballet.  Taking original Chinese sources, he has reduced the warrior style to its basic elements, using a subtle mix of brown, blue and white. The costumes were made in the Paris atelier of Mme Muelle, Matisse was often present overseeing their creation.\n\n<i>Le Chant du rossignol</i> was a reworking of Stravinsky's 1914 opera for dance. It was based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale in which a Chinese Emperor prefers a mechanical nightingale to the real bird although ultimately the real nightingale challenges Death to save the life of the Emperor. ","physicalDescription":"Chinese-style military tunic, the wide short sleeves and skirt in blue silk, the skirt panels and body in white felt with panels of brown velvet overlaid with gold braid lattice. Around the waist is a brown velvet belt set with brass 'L's. Knee length pantaloons in blue Japanese silk.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Henri Matisse","id":"A6845"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"felt","id":"AAT14107"},{"text":"cotton (textile)","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"velvet","id":"AAT133711"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"cord","id":"AAT14247"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"}],"techniques":[{"text":"sewing","id":"AAT53658"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted felt, cotton velvet, Japanese silk, cotton lining, metal wrapped cord, right-angled metal decoration, horsehair padding in linen pouches.","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EA6304","2010EA6303","2010EA6302","2010EA6301","2010EA6300","2010EA6279","2010EA6277","2010EA6276","2010EA6260","2010EA6253","2010EA6251","2010EA6203","2006BG2819","2016JJ8607"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES344214"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Trousers","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1920","earliest":"1920-01-01","latest":"1920-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"155","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"75","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Details of display footprint taken from the Exhibitions Department database for the <i>Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes</i> exhibition.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"One of a group of 7 costumes from <i>Le Chant du rossignol</i> sold by the Diaghilev and de Basil Ballet Foundation at Sotheby's on 17 July 1968. Purchased by Richard Buckle for the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts for £380. Given to the V&A by the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts in 1975.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume for a Warrior in Léonide Massine's ballet <i>Le Chant du rossignol,</i> designed by Henri Matisse for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1920","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.751-1980","S.751A-1980"],"accessionNumberNum":"751","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1980,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Theatre costume [1]","Theatre costume [2]"],"assets":["2019LN2244","2019LN9302","2019LR5900","2019LT5670","2019LU6219"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-09","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":false}}