Date: c. 1900s
Origin: Italy
Fabric: Cotton coutil
Brand: Corset Cigno
An extremely lightweight corset, crafted from a very fine herringbone cotton coutil and structured mostly with baleen bones. This garment appears to be unworn, and was found in its original box packaging. It likely remained unsold due to a flaw in the back panel, where one of the metal eyelets has been incorrectly inserted in a crooked position.
The corset fastens with a metal busk at the centre front, and single part metal eyelets threaded with cotton lacing at the centre back. The eyelets are re-enforced with steel bones on either side. Decorative ribbon with a woven diamond pattern is overlaid on the body of the corset, with angular positioning to frame the waistline. It is sandwiched under externally applied bone channels, which creates a lattice like visual effect.
The corset is bound with a fine cotton twill tape. The top edge is embellished with a ribbon slot, machine made lace that is threaded with silk ribbon. The interior of the corset reveals a stamp over the busk, which lists the corset style number (2115), the corset brand (‘Corset Cigno’) and the waist size (56cm).
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
