Casgliadau Arlein

Fine vertically striped silver and ivory silk waistcoat, about 1770. Embroidered to the borders and pocket flaps with pansies and foliate scrolls in shades of purple, yellow, pink and green. Worn by Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet.

The ground fabric of the waistcoat has a woven pattern of narrow vertical stripes which are made by alternating a tabby binding of 10 warps, with a stripe made by wefts of silver metal thread. Each of these stripes are a little over 2mm wide. There are 14 buttons down the centre front which are made from a cream silk ground fabric that has a textured weave, which has then been embroidered with green, pink and black silk, using a combination of chain stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch and French knots, depicting a single flower within a wreath.

Front made from two pieces of fabric, with extra pieces added on as pocket flaps. Lining and pocket lining is made from off-white cotton tabby fabric. Pocket flaps, buttons and button holes have an inner facing of cream silk with a weave resulting in a diagonal rib pattern. The same silk fabric is used to line the lower edge of the front.

The two main back panels are made from the same cream silk fabric and are lined with cotton tabby. The lower edge of the back is again lined with the cream silk, as on the front. In addition, the centre back appears to have been extended by two narrow vertical strips of off-white tabby linen fabric. There are three sets of former stitch lines on the back: they start at the neck and splay outwards at a slant. The central set of two lines retain remains of deep pink silk stitching thread which connects the two lines. The inner two are only on the linen, the second set start in the linen and then continue into the silk and the third are only on the silk. There is a 14cm long vent/slit on the lower end of the centre back seam. Hand-written number inscribed on the lining at the right shoulder.