#historical children

Lace stomachers: unlike more solid stomachers these weren’t meant to hold a garment together in front. Rather, they were put on top of a solid bodice for decoration, or possibly also for practical reasons as they seem to appeare more frequently in portraits of children than of grown-up women.

The left portrait is of Catherina Elmendorf, from 1754. The middle portrait, recently sold at Sotherby’s, is an unknown child, French origin, mid 18th c.

The lace stomacher to the right is dated a bit earlier; mid 17th century. But the overall look corresponds to the portrait. From The National Museum in Oslo ( X)