Embroidered cape - dating help needed

A

AstridC

Registered Guest
Hello to all!

Again, me, again lost in vintage world... As you can all see, I am a beginner in vintage fashion, and the more I read on the subject, the more I am confused and second-guessing myself!

I would need some dating help from you experts, regarding this cape. It is wool, hand made and hand embroidered, with a (possibly) rayon lining. At least it feels like rayon.

At first I said 70's, but it looks much older, or my vintage radar is way off again?

Thank you in advance for your incredibly valuable advice!
Astrid

side image:
P1060041.JPG


front image:
P1060042.JPG



back:

P1060043.JPG



close-up of lining:
P1060046.JPG


close up of buttons in front:
cape.JPG
 
It has a strong Chinese styling. The lining actually 'looks' like silk. What kind of weight is the wool? A closer shot of the weave would help. Is there a little padding in the shoulders and if so what kind of padding? Side slits for armholes? Can you open the lining a bit and show the stitching on an inside seam?

A little tricky to date.
 
there is no padding in the shoulders (probably looks like that in the picture due to the shape of the manny).

The lining is rayon, I did a burn test on a couple of threads (not self extinguishing, ash -like remnants and an odour of burning paper).
it is stitched all around, so I cannot see the interior finishing.

There are no slits for the arms, the cape is short, it only reaches to my waist.

here is a closeup of the wool fabric, one is with the flash the other without; I am not sure which looks better so I am attaching both:

P1060080.JPG


P1060081.JPG
 
This is one of those Indian embroidered wool capes that were made in the late 1930s. You usually see them as coats with multi-coloured embroidery. There seems to have been a big market for them right around 1937-1939.
 
I'm going to against the grain and say more modern - that lining is common in Indian garments from the last forty years, it looks like rayon, and the colours of the cape just don't look that old to me.

If it were from the 1930s I'd expect less bright colours and a shorter cape - and a better quality lining. I'm going to agree with the OP that it's '70s, when they loved capes, did lots of hand embroidery, had nehru collars.

Nicole
 
I would soo wish this was 30's ... BTW, what do you think I should wear with it?
I have a blue 50's hat that is exactly the same colour as the embroidery...
 
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