Antique French Opera Costume Tunic 1887 Purple Silk Velvet Tunic Doublet Renaissance Paris Theatre 19th Century

Incredible French opera costume. Purple silk velvet with silk grosgrain sleeves. Buttons are concealed up the back. Diagonal cording decorates the lower front.

The period photograph shows Étienne Gibert wearing this exact tunic. Please note that I don’t have the photograph. It can be found online.

A true treasure and a great historically documented costume.

Worn for the debut of the Opera Esclarmonde, by Massenet on 15 May 1889 by the Opéra-Comique at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Place du Châtelet in Paris. It was the second role ever for Gibert himself. In the photograph you can see the additions to the costume over the tunic: the chain mail collar, heraldic appliqués and leather/leather look studded sleeve covers (with the velvet sleeve underneath peeping through) and incredible bejewelled belt.

The stamp in the lining has the date and the handwritten name of Gibert, along with his role as ‘Roland.’

The costume is stamp dated 1887 so it is seemingly premature for the 1889 debut.

*This is a very small size* it has a lightly padded feel so you would need to be smaller than the dimensions given below if you wish to wear it.

Measures: 18” underarm to underarm, 17” across the waist area, 14 1/2” across the shoulders, 27 1/3” long in the body, 25” sleeves.

Condition: very good indeed. There is one button missing at the lower back. There are some small spot areas where the velvet pile has worn away on the body but these are few and hardly. There is also wear to the velvet at the collar and shoulders as shown. There is area with stitched repairs as shown.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Ships internationally via insured delivery.