Mariano Fortuny Gauze Sleevless Coat, Provenance Tina Chow. 

Silk, glass, metallic pigments. Length 46" - shoulder 6" - 17" each on 2 front panels - Back panel 34". Price Upon Request. 

Transparent Fortuny gauze pieces are based on the ancient tunic which was a shirt like garment that became traditional attire in roman times, the copts or christian egyptians continued to wear it, elaborately decorating it in longitudinal patterned bands which ran up the front and back of the garment.

Fortunys treatment of this shape included cutting it open in the front.For these tunic shaped coats he used fine gauzes or crepes which he printed his patterns on.these tunics can be sleeveless, short sleeved or long sleeved, they are usually trimmed with silk cords and glass beads.

The hand stenciling is done with real gold metallic pigments aged to a mellow, burnished color. Fortuny built his stenciled pieces layer upon layer, until he achieved the effect of an old brocade.

In Guillermo de Osma's book, Fortuny, Mariano Fortuny : his life and work , page 214 figure 7, shows this very piece.

Fortuny offered by Vintage Luxury. By Appointment Only, New York, NY 00000, United States