Decorative Arts: Period Accessories Part One

The second unit in my Decorative Arts class is formally called "period accessories," but informally called "propstumes"--items which are sometimes considered a prop, and sometimes considered a costume, usually aesthetically determined by the costume designer, and sometimes made by the costume production staff. The point of the project is to explore the creation of an item which often has a very specific function within the context of a theatrical production--reticules must contain other props, housekeepers must unlock doors with the keys on chatelaines, fans must easily and smoothly open and close (and often stand up to abuse like smacking a fellow actor with them!).

So, since i have eight(!) students this time--i'm overenrolled by two, my normal course max enrollment is six--i'll share these projects in two separate posts, split by theme. Today features three handbags and a fur muff.


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