Evening Cape by Maria Monaci Gallenga (1880–1944)

Circa 1925
49in (125cm) l  52in (132cm) w
Condition: Tears to hem on left side and on the lining inside.

Maria Monaci Gallenga's work often drew on historical sources, but unlike her contemporary Mariano Fortuny, she did not aim for a timeless look. Her garments were cut to follow the fashions of her day, while their surface designs recalled the craftsmanship and artistry of earlier periods.

This evening cape is a good example of that balance. Its shape follows a style popular in the mid-1920s: a cape with a tall, gathered, and padded "Medici" collar. The printed design, showing animals among large palmette motifs, is adapted from a late fourteenth-century Italian silk. That textile appeared in art historian Otto von Falke's 1913 survey of silk weaving.

By the early twentieth century, velvet was no longer the rare, costly fabric it had been during the Renaissance; it could be produced industrially and was widely available. Gallenga made it special again by printing her patterns by hand. She printed onto fabric that had already been cut to shape, so the design would align with the lines of each garment.

Exact examples of this cape can be found online at The Metropolitan Museum.

Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For a detailed condition report or to request additional images, please email the gallery directly at auctions@finesf.com. Condition report requests received after 5pm the day before the sale are not guaranteed. Shipping is not included. Please bid accordingly, as all sales are final, no returns are accepted on basis of condition.