Coat embroidered with wildflowers, Marshall & Snelgrove Ltd, 1895 – 1900, England

Coat embroidered with wildflowers, Marshall & Snelgrove Ltd, 1895 – 1900, EnglandMuseum no. T.49-1962., Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonWildflowers in particular were popular motifs, as seen on a striking velvet coat produced for s

Today we take a look at an interesting coat from circa 1895-1900 made by Marshall & Snelgrove Ltd.:

Marshall & Snelgrove Ltd, Coat, c. 1895-1900; Victoria & Albert Museum (T.49-1962)

The coat is constructed of a dark purple silk velvet with the decoration being described by the V&A Museum as “a spray of an English wildflower called Sweet Cicely hand-embroidered in yellow and green silk, with petals of white felt.” With a Medici collar, the effect is magnificent and the coat must be gorgeous to look at in person. Here’s a close-up of the shoulders and collar:

The coat provides a large canvas for the decorative floral pattern and the deep rich purple velvet provides the period background for the floral embroidery and this coat would be exquisite to replicate.