ermine cape and muff
Empress Elisabeth‘s ermine cape and muff
Empress Elisabeth‘s ermine cape and muff
Empress Elisabeth‘s ermine cape and muff is to be displayed in the Sisi Museum for three months
The ermine ensemble of Sisi consists of a cape with a separate collar and matching muff, an essential item in the elegant winter wardrobe of a 19th century lady.
Ermine fur was known as far back as antiquity, and became a symbol of power and wealth. Although there were and are many much more expensive furs, it was ermine that became the one worn by emperors and kings. Even today, this white fur with the typical black tail tips is a frequent element of coronation regalia, and the Habsburg monarchs are often represented as wearing an ermine cape as a symbol of their power.
Ermine is found mainly in Scandinavia and Russia. The colder the animal’s habitat, the denser and silkier the pelt. For this reason it is not surprising that around 1900 approximately one million ermine pelts were imported from Russia. The winter fur is of a higher quality than the summer fur, is white with bluish-white to ivory shades and the top hair is denser, growing to a length of up to 13 mm.
For many centuries, the “pure white” of the ermine’s winter coat was also used as a metaphor for purity and spotlessness. The black tail tips were sewn in as purely decoration in specific patterns, reinforcing the impression of exclusiveness.
