Cleopatra costume bodice worn by Lauren Anderson: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The bodice of a Cleopatra ballet costume worn by Lauren Anderson for the Houston Ballet Company. The top is a sleeveless, close-fitting, gold and pink bodice hitting above the waist. The majority is gold with metallic thread and gold appliqué along the bottom. There is a design made out of metal and beads in the center of the top. The neckline is lined in a pink mesh material with sequins and small pearls sewn on. The back of the shirt has black hood and eye fasteners. At the back interior are several sewn in labels including a green on white pre-printed label for [Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre] that has not been completed. There is also a pre-printed label for [HOUSTON BALLET] that has been completed by hand reading [Prod CLEOPATRA / Character CLEOPATRA / Name RUG DRESS]. Above the ballet labels are several name labels reading [OLIVE IRA / TBT], [SCANNELL], [L. Ponomarenko], [ANDERSON], [BEARS], and [J. Gelfand].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2000
• Designed by: Judanna Lynn, American
• Worn by: Lauren Anderson, American, born 1965
• Used by: Houston Ballet Company, American, founded 1955
• Type: bodices
• Medium: silk, tulle, metal, plastic, metal thread, sequin, and ink
• Dimensions: H x W: 12 × 14 1/2 in. (30.5 × 36.8 cm)
• Place used: Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Ballet
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Design
• Object number: 2019.19.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Houston Ballet
• 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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.