Brown fringed suede jacket worn by Arthur Lee: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This western-style brown fringed suede jacket was worn by Arthur Lee. The single-breasted jacket has full-length sleeves and a standard collar. The front opening is folded and pressed to create a lapel. The jacket closes at the center front with four (4) black plastic buttons. Black leather strips are braided and sewn through the brown suede in a chevron pattern across the front chest and back shoulders. Brown suede fringe hangs from the braided design on the front and back, and is attached at both sleeves around the inset shoulder seam and along the outer sleeve seam. There are two (2) diagonally set welted pockets, one at each front waist. Triangular black fabric patches with white and black triangular beaded designs are sewn at the top and bottom edge of each pocket opening, totaling four (4) triangular patches. Rectangular black fabric patches with a rectangular beaded geometric design in black and white are attached with black braided leather sewn through the brown suede at each shoulder, totaling two (2) rectangular patches. Circular black fabric patches with a circular beaded geometric design in black and white are attached at each outer sleeve near the wrist with black braided leather sewn through the brown suede, totaling two (2) circular patches. There is a third circular patch of the same design and attachment method at the center back shoulders above the fringe.

The jacket is fully lined in a gold synthetic fabric. There is one (1) interior welted pocket at the proper left breast with the welts made from the tan suede. A black fabric label is sewn at the interior center back neck with a logo in the upper right corner of a green "W" outlined in silver thread and silver embroidered text reading "REAL LEATHER". A size tag is attached to the bottom of the larger label.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 2000
• Created by: Unidentified
• Worn by: Arthur Lee, American, 1945 - 2006
• Type: jackets
• Medium: suede, leather, glass beads, and plastic buttons
• Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 34 1/4 × 21 × 13 in. (87 × 53.3 × 33 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Rock and roll (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2014.41.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Diane Lee in memory of Arthur Taylor Lee
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.