Dress for an image (Our Lady of the Olive Tree)

Author: Unknown

Date: 1728

Material: Ivory-white silk thread, gold metallic thread, gold metallic lamina | Filling: ivory silk thread | Galloon: gold metallic thread (gold? Gilt silver?), brass

Dimensions (cm): H 143 x W 240

Provenance: Guimarães, Colegiada de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

Inventory No.: MAS TD 1 (5)

Dress belonging to the image of Our Lady of the Olive Tree that was offered by Dom João V in 1728, to fulfil a vow. Of Portuguese making, it is executed with gold lamé embroidered with gold thread. It consists of a bodice and hanging sleeves, a skirt, separate sleeves and a mantle. The bodice displays embroidery on the front and it is fastened on the back with six eyelets through which a silk ribbon passes. On the front, it has a hook and eye from which cords and other gold ornaments hung. The crew neck is fastened with a hook and eye. The hanging sleeves are long accompanying the height of the image and they also only display embroidery on the front. The embroidery presents floral and curved motifs where the unfilled spaces are sprinkled with big seven-pointed stars and other smaller four-pointed ones. The skirt is embroidered on the front and the sleeves are only embroidered in the lower part. The mantle is embroidered. All the pieces are lined.