Emile Pingat was one of the leading Parisian couturiers during the late 19th Century and was especially known for his outerwear. We first begin with this circa 1891 mantle:

Pingat, Mantle, c. 1891; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.337)

This cape is constructed from a pale blue wool overlaid with metallic gold bullion and gray velvet appliques that create a floral design motif. Trimming the front, cuffs, and collar are turquoise feathers.

Pingat, Mantle, c. 1891; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.337)

The side profile gives a good view of the typical mantle profile- long in the front and short in the rear to accommodate the bustled train, or in this case, a more truncated train created by a bustle pad. And to get an idea of how it would have looked worn with a dress:

Interestingly enough, it appears that the dress underneath is this 1893 evening dress by Worth:

Worth, Evening Ensemble Dress, 1893; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.622a–c)

Of course, this also raises the question of putting on the mantle over the dress’s gigot sleeves…. 😉

Below is another example of Pingat’s work from the early 1890s, this time a cape dated to circa 1891-1893:

Pingat, Cape, c. 1891-1893; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.60.6.8)

This cape is constructed of a black silk velvet and trimmed with fur along the front and the collar. Running along the front and up onto the shoulders are strips of a silver jeweled trim; at the shoulders, the trim accentuates the epaulets and makes them stand out as a design feature. Also, the color is also trimmed with the same type of silver jeweled trim. Below is another view of the cape’s opening:

It’s hard to completely discern but it appears that the cape opens on the front sides. The lining material is also interesting as can be seen with the label:

The silver jeweled trim continues on the back in a dramatic manner, using most of the back and really takes over to create a very opulent look.

Rear View

The above two garments only give a hint at Pingat’s amazing design skills and in future posts, we’ll looking at some more examples. Stay tuned! 🙂