Cuff links for Ain't Misbehavin' costume worn by André De Shields: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Cuff links from Ain't Misbehavin' costume ensemble for Act I worn by André De Shields during the 1982 NBC TV special. The head of the cufflink is a large blue rhinestone in circular metal head. The head connects to a metal mesh chain that ends in a large hole to connect to the cuff link. The head also connects to the post and a toggle closure.

One of the cufflinks (.1b) has a large repair in the center of the mesh chain. It has completely detached and has been sewn together with white thread.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1982
• Created by: Unidentified
• Worn by: André De Shields, American, born 1946
• Type: cuff links
• Medium: (.1a) metal and rhinestone;
• Medium: (.1b) metal, rhinestone and thread
• Dimensions: H x W x D (1a): 2 3/8 × 15/16 × 1 5/16 in. (6 × 2.4 × 3.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (1b): 2 7/8 × 15/16 × 1 5/16 in. (7.3 × 2.4 × 3.3 cm)
• Place used: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Musical Theatre
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2018.1.1.5.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of André De Shields
• 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.