{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O577319"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O577319/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FY7521/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FY7521/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FY7521","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O577319/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O577319","accessionNumber":"E.22071-1957","objectType":"Fancy dress costume design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This design was possibly created for Charles Frederick Worth. It shows an elaborate costume which combines various shells and red and white corals to create an undersea theme. Even the model's stockings are decorated with coral branches and her shoes are trimmed with shells. \n\nDuring the 1860s, Empress Eugenie of France threw a number of extravagant masquerade balls which required the guests to wear elaborate and inventive costumes that were made up by Worth and other Paris dressmakers. Worth, a relative newcomer, became the Empress's favoured couturier at the end of the 1850s. This made him extremely fashionable, and the rest of the ladies of Eugenie's court also bought gowns from him - and so too did their husbands' mistresses, and anyone wealthy enough to afford Worth's very high prices. As a result, Worth was under great pressure to produce vast numbers of unique, one of a kind costumes and gowns, often at very short notice. This is one of a large number of similar designs and sketches that were given to the V&A as part of the archive and reference collection of the House of Worth, making it extremely likely that it was originally designed for a guest to wear to one of the Empress's magnificent balls.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing, a design for a theatrical or masquerade fancy-dress ball costume.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Charles Frederick Worth","id":"A2554"},"association":{"text":"designed for","id":"x41471"},"note":"possibly"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"watercolour and pencil drawing","categories":[{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Fancy-dress","id":"THES253773"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2012FY7521"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"DT","shelf":"22","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}],[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1860s","earliest":"1860-01-01","latest":"1869-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the House of Worth","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Woman's masquerade ball dress. Undersea theme. Watercolour drawing, probably for Charles Frederick Worth. Paris, 1860s.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1957-1958 </u> London: HMSO, 1964"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.22071-1957"],"accessionNumberNum":"22071","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1957,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-19","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}