Stomacher

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This quintessential example of rococo finery features the central C-curve pattern characteristic of this style. The word rococo comes from rocaille, meaning shell. The delicate and realistic embroidery is extremely finely worked and is quintessential of the period. The arresting visual experience emanates from the stark contrast of the heavy ornate metallic scrollwork to the realistic floral motifs in polychrome floss. The integration of the fanciful scroll work and the naturalism of the flowers are realized through the bird perching on the scroll work rather than on the branch.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art