{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117691"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117691/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6139/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6139/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM6139","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6142","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6141","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6140","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM6138","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117691","accessionNumber":"T.119-1974","objectType":"Evening dress","titles":[{"title":"'Bosphore' (Bosphorus)","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"La Ligne Aimant (Magnet)","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This dress, designed by Christian Dior (1905-57) in 1956, is short and strapless in midnight-blue velvet with delicate embroidery by Rébé, which includes velvet birds’ nests with clusters of pearl eggs.  \r\n\r\nThe dress is simply cut, to show off its sumptuous surface detail. Such embellishment required meticulous patience for, as Dior explained,  ‘a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately’.","physicalDescription":"Strapless and short sheath evening dress of dark royal blue velvet with embroidery of gold thread, sequins, pearls and green and blue pastes in a design of sprays and tendrils springing from nests of pearls in velvet.\r\n\nThe dress has two attached petticoats, one of black net and one of navy blue silk, and the net liner bodice is boned. There is a zip down the back of the dress and the inner bodice fastens with hooks and eyes.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Christian Dior","id":"A1790"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Rébé","id":"A17143"},"association":{"text":"embroiderer","id":"AAT25352"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"velvet","id":"x36821"},{"text":"gold thread","id":"x30128"},{"text":"pearls","id":"AAT11827"},{"text":"paste","id":"AAT10803"}],"techniques":[{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Embroidered velvet with gold thread, sequins, pearls and pastes, and net, silk and boned","categories":[{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Embroidery","id":"THES48960"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Shekou","id":"THES279777"},{"text":"Values of Design","id":"THES279818"},{"text":"Design Society","id":"THES279819"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2007BM6139","2007BM6142","2007BM6141","2007BM6140","2007BM6138"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES307842"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Evening dress","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1956","earliest":"1956-01-01","latest":"1956-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Autumn / Winter"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mr Stavros Niarchos III","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"66","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"waist","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"80","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bust","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"92","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Stockman European Female size 36","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Christian Dior Paris Automne-Hiver 1956 84193'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label inside bodice"}],"objectHistory":"The dress was originally designed with a plain velvet bolero, which was not given.\r\n\r\nWorn by Mrs Eugenia Niarchos and given by Mr Stavros Niarchos III","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Strapless sheath evening dress 'Bosphore' from 'La Ligne Aimant ' in embroidered velvet, designed by Christian Dior, embroidered by Rébé, Paris, A/W1956","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wilcox, C., ed., <i>The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57</i> (V&A Publications, London: 2007), p.136 and pl.5.18."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wilcox, C., ed., <i>The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57</i> (V&A Publications, London: 2007), p.167 and pl.7.11."},{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"The Aimant (Magnet) line","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"beaton","id":"N2787"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"nest","id":"x34717"},{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"EMBROIDERY \r\n\r\nParis was the home of a luxury trade in fashion goods. Entire streets were devoted to glove makers, shoe makers and furriers while feathers, floral accessories and ribbon work were worked by hand in small workshops, much as they had been since the 18th century.\r\n\r\nEmbroidery specialists created a range of samples each season. Once selected, a design remained for the exclusive use of the couturier. Hubert de Givenchy said these samples served as ‘the springboard to creation’.\r\n\r\nGowns that were to be embroidered were usually simply cut to show off their sumptuous surface detail. Their embellishment required meticulous patience, for as Dior explained, ‘a ball dress may be entirely covered with millions of paillettes, or pearls, each one of which has to be put on separately’. \r\n\r\n\r\n'Bosphore' short evening dress\r\nChristian Dior (1905-57)\r\nParis\r\n1956 autumn/winter\r\n\r\nThe midnight blue velvet has delicate embroidery by Rébé which, on closer inspection, reveals velvet birds' nests with clusters of pearl eggs. \r\n\r\nSilk velvet, embroidered by Rébé with pearls, gold thread and cabochons\r\n\r\nWorn by Mrs Eugenia Niarchos and given by Mr Stavros Niarchos III\r\nV&A: T.119-1974","date":{"text":"22/09/2007","earliest":"2007-09-22","latest":"2007-09-22"}}],"partNumbers":["T.119-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"119","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Dior label number","id":"THES50280"},"number":"84193"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2005-10-17","availableToBook":false}}