{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1173533"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1173533/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1173533","accessionNumber":"S.667-1996","objectType":"Theatre costume","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Cloak designed by Andre Derain and worn by the wife of the Russian Merchant in Leonide Massine's ballet, Las Boutique fantasque for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.\r\nThe silk cape is fringed with blue, green and yellow, hand painted with an elaborate pattern of pale green, turquoise-blue, lemon yellow, orange, pink and brown; at the top is a band of royal blue satin ribbon by which the cape was fastened.\r\n\r\nLa Boutique fantasque  (The Fantastic Toyshop) was a light-hearted ballet in one act was choreographed by Léonide Massine to an arrangement of music by Giacomo Rossini arranged and orchestrated by Ottorino Respighi.  It captured the public’s need for escapism after the horrors of the First World War. The production was designed by André Derain with the sets painted by Vladimir and Elizabeth Polunin and the costumes made by Alias Ltd. It was created for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and first performed at the Alhambra, Leicester Square, London, on 5 June 1919, where it was a terrific hit. As one critic wrote after the premiere, in La Boutique fantasque ‘the old and the reactionary and the new music and “choreography” and décor all run together into a piece of merry nonsense, so single and so compelling that it carries you away.’ It became one of the most popular ballets in the Ballets Russes repertoire receiving its last performance by them on 4 August 1929 at the Casino, Vichy. It was revived for de Basil’s Ballet Russe at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 16 July 1934 and performed by them in the USA and Australia.\r\n\r\nThe action of the ballet is set in a toy-shop c.1865. Clients visit to see the novelties and the pair of can-can dancers are separated when purchased by different clients. At night, after the shop had closed, the toys come to life and enable the can-can dancers to elope. In the morning they are found to be missing by the disgruntled purchases. La Boutique fantasque was one of a number of ballets based on the Viennese Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll) of 1888.\r\n\nThe role of the Russian Merchant's wife was created by Giuseppina Cecchetti in 1919 and Cyril Beaumont desctibed the character as 'a stout lady in ample blue crinoline, her shoulders covered by a gaudy yellow shawl'.\r\n\r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"Cape/shawl worn by the wife of the Russian Merchant consisting of a silk cape fringed with blue, green and yellow, handpainted with an elaborate pattern of pale green, turquoise-blue, lemon yellow, orange, pink and brown; at the top a band of royal blue satin ribbon by which the cape was fastened","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Derain, Andre","id":"A3644"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"rayon","id":"AAT14059"},{"text":"satin","id":"AAT132902"},{"text":"moire","id":"x35174"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting techniques","id":"AAT53343"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"painted silk with rayon fringe, silk satin ribbons backed with moire silk","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Theatre costume","id":"THES268477"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES356357"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Shawl","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1919","earliest":"1919-01-01","latest":"1919-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"61.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"box","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"13","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"box","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"121","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"box","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Owned by the Diaghilev and de Basil Ballet Foundation until 1968. The costume was bought by Mrs A. Beasley probably on behalf of the Friends of the Museum of Performance for 40 pounds sterling along with the costume for the shopkeeper's assistant S.668-1996 as lot 64 at the Sotheby auction of Costumes and Curtains from Diaghilev and De Basil's Ballets at the Scala Theatre, London on 17 July 1968. It was acquired with the collection from the Museum of the Friends of Performance","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Multicoloured fringed shawl designed by Andre Derain for the Russian Merchant's Wife in La Boutique fantasque,for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1919.  ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.667-1996"],"accessionNumberNum":"667","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1996,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-17","recordCreationDate":"2010-10-07","availableToBook":true}}