{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O143689"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O143689/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EE6309/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EE6309/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EE6309","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EE6307","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FF7190","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O143689/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O143689","accessionNumber":"S.737-1987","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"costume design","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is one of a set of seven designs by Richard Wynn Keene or Dykwynkyn (1809-1887), for an assortment of comic Knights in the first Christmas pantomime ever staged at Her Majesty's Theatre. <i>Harlequin and Tom Thumb!, or, Merlin The Magician and the Good Fairies of the Court of King Arthur</i>, which opened on Christmas Eve 1860, was by all accounts a splendid pantomime, with brilliant set designs supervised by the well-known scene designer William Beverley, and remarkable costumes and the pantomime 'big heads' designed by the artist, sculptor, mask and property maker and costume designer known as Dykwynkyn. The heads traditionally featured in the opening of pantomimes at this date, and their design was a speciality of Dykwynkyn's. \r\n\r\nThe Knights in <i>Tom Thumb</i> appeared in 'The Banqueting Hall in the Palace of King Arthur', the scene in the Harlequinade in which Tom Thumb lived in King Arthur's Court.","physicalDescription":"Pencil and watercolour costume design on cream paper for 'The Dark Knight', depicting a knight in chain mail, balancing on the ball of his right foot and playing a long-necked lute-like instrument which he holds in his left hand while strumming it with his right. He wears an eagle-surmounted helmet, a blue and white star-patterned tabard, and red and white striped skirt. The sheet of cream paper has been cut and pasted on to a buff-coloured paper support, with the title 'THE DARK KNIGHT' and other pencil inscriptions on the margin of the supporting sheet. A pencilled sketch verso shows the Knight's shield with its inscription 'Semper Hide'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Keene, Richard Wynn","id":"A20975"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},{"text":"inscribed","id":"x29565"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EE6309","2010EE6307","2012FF7190"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356667"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":"Term 'Dark' coupled with racist caricature"}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1860","earliest":"1860-01-01","latest":"1860-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.732-1987","id":"O144676"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.733-1987","id":"O145033"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.734-1987","id":"O145032"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.735-1987","id":"O145034"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.736-1987","id":"O145596"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.737-1987","id":"O143689"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.738-1987","id":"O143707"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs. W.W. Smith","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"28.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"overall height of support paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"height of smaller sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"20.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"overall width of support paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"width of smaller sheet","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"One sheet has been trimmed and pasted on a larger support sheet, clearly at the time the design was made since the inscriptions are by the artist, and the pencilled design for the shield on his back (recto) continues from the smaller sheet onto the support sheet.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Sempe(r) Hide'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil note on right margin of the support sheet, relating to the motto on the shield.  The sheet has been trimmed down since the 'r' of 'semper' is missing."},{"content":"'THE DARK KNIGHT'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Watercolour title on the bottom margin of the support sheeet."},{"content":"'Sir Mackney de .......'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil note on bottom margin of the support sheet, trimmed down since the rest of  the name is missing."},{"content":"Dykwynkyn","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed in watercolour below his right foot on the shape of an artist's palette."}],"objectHistory":"NB. The term “Dark” was used historically in Britain and North America to describe people of black African heritage. However, since the early 20th century its use has become increasingly offensive. The term is repeated here in its original historical context.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design for 'The Dark Knight', one of several Knight designs for the pantomime <i>Harlequin and Tom Thumb! or, Merlin The Magician, & the Good Fairies of the Court of King Arthur</i>, Her Majesty's Theatre, 24 December 1860.   Pencil and watercolour by 'Dykwynkyn' - Richard Wynn Keene (1809-1887)","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Knight","id":"x31796"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.737-1987"],"accessionNumberNum":"737","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1987,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Cancelled number","id":"THES52962"},"number":"S.6-2008"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2008-01-17","availableToBook":true}}