Help need with Victorian Mantle with Steel Collar?

furwise

furwise

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Hi, I could not turn away from this mantle. It is almost completely made up of black glass beads shaped in flowers. It does have some velour feeling ribbons hanging down in front along with some tassels and two large buttons in front. The scalloped collar though is steel or some kind of metal I think. When I look in my books I see this shape in the 1890s however I cannot tell if the collars were metal or all fabric. Am I looking in the right era? Is there a name for this collar? For some reason I want to call it a steel cage collar but that can't be right. I don't know why I want to call it that.
Thanks, Caryn
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I agree with 1890s for a date. A nice example of it's type, if you can photograph it on a person, the shoulders will sit better.

I would call it a capelet rather than mantle. Are there sleeves that I can't see?
 
Hi Everyone, Thank you for the compliments and information.
No steel cut beads. The beads are all fabric threaded glass.
I do think it might be Berlin Iron. I will include a photo in this post of the two front buttons which also consist of glass beads but have a hook closure that is also metal but wider. I actually took a small magnet from the refrigerator and while it did not stick to the hook I could feel some pull if that makes sense.
I don't have a person at the moment to model it but I have a manni with better shoulders that may show the shape better. I will model on her later. It does not have sleeves. I intended to use the keywords mantle, cape, capelet, shawl in my title being all of those have a similar appearance in shape.
The beads are dusty. I would like to try to clean this before selling if I can. You know those computer cleaner cans that spray air out to clean the computer keys? Do you think that would be something I could use to clean the beads and in between?
Here is a photo that shows the front buttons close and the center metal hook.
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The collar looks like it is made of wire but does not have any flexibility. The beads throughout the bodice feel like they are threaded and when I look with my flashlight I think I see that same brown threading in there.

I think the beads are jet too.
 
How lovely.... It looks like jet to me too and I believe this is also referred to a pelerine. Hey, that air spray can is a great idea for dusty beads - now why didn't I think of that before?
 
Thank you. I have never heard of the word pelerine before however after viewing the definition the word could fit this.
 
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