{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O137510"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O137510/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PG1065/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PG1065/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PG1065","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PG1063","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PG1064","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PG1069","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O137510","accessionNumber":"T.169&A-1974","objectType":"Evening cape and bag","titles":[{"title":"Butterfly","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The main body of this crisply pleated cape is made up from a single piece of black pleated silk taffeta. The lower layer of the lightweight silk fabric clings to the wearer, whilst the top layer hangs in stiff, rigidly sculptural folds. The pleating is attached to wide bands of black silk which provide the necessary structure to hold the garment to the wearer. This cape comes with a matching silk bag for its storage to preserve the pleating. The garment would have been rolled tightly, like an umbrella, and slipped into the narrow sheath-like bag.\r\n\r\nMatilda Etches is now almost entirely forgotten except as a theatre, ballet and opera costume-maker. However, she was an extremely talented couturier, whose fashionable clothes were innovative and very carefully made. The design for the 'Butterfly' cape was patented in 1953, though this version was made in 1951. The original 'Butterfly' cape was created in 1949 for the ballerina Dame Ninette de Valois, who was the founder-director of the Royal Ballet.","physicalDescription":"Evening cape of black silk taffeta with dust bag.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Matilda Etches","id":"A2136"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk taffeta","id":"x34754"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pleated silk taffeta","categories":[{"text":"Formal wear","id":"THES48950"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Evening wear","id":"THES48999"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2025PG1065","2025PG1063","2025PG1064","2025PG1069"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES404282"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES404282"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cape","id":""}],[{"text":"Dust bag","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United States","id":"x29333"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1951","earliest":"1951-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Matilda Etches-Homan","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This was part of the Cecil Beaton collection, donated by Matilda Etches-Homan. The original design was made for Dame Ninette de Valois, the ballerina.\r\n\r\nThe original patent for this design was 169,670 1953\r\n\r\nThe following quote relates to our red & maroon ribbon version of this cape, T.185-1969.\r\n\r\n<i>From correspondence of Madeleine Ginsburg to Matilda Etches-Homan, letter written 9 June 1969, following acceptance of the Etches collection & dossier</i>\r\n<br>\r\n\"The image of our 20th century costume collection has received a great boost through you! For the first time clothes from this century have been chosen to show the meeting of our advisory committee - a honour usually reserved only for medieval embroideries. They are to see the Butterfly cape and the West African cotton dress.\"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Evening cape 'Butterfly' of black silk taffeta with dust bag, designed by Matilda Etches, United States, 1951","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"<i>Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1971","id":"AUTH354373"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Haute couture","id":"THES48861"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"de Valois, Ninette (Dame)","id":"N4395"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.169-1974","T.169A-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"169","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Cape","Dust bag"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-09","recordCreationDate":"2007-07-17","availableToBook":false}}