Unusual Artifacts: “The New Panthom” Bustle, 1884

The New Phantom
Steel Wires and Cotton Tapes
English, 1884
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the 1860’s, as the bell-shaped skirt fell out of fashion, a lady began to drape the excess fabric of her crinolines around her hips so that they would bunch up behind her, making a different silhouette.

This fashion gave rise to the bustle. The word “bustle” was considered vulgar to Victorian ladies who referred to the new contraptions that they would wear under their gowns as “tournures” or “dress improvers.” At first, the tournure served to gather the crinoline and excess fabric of existing dresses. Soon, however, it became a separate piece of clothing, worn under a dress and fastened with a series of uncomfortable belts and straps. Bustles could be constructed of a variety of materials which served to pad the back of a dress—horse hair, down, straw and padding—taking the form of little cushions.

Victoria & Albert Museum

By the 1870’s the tournure was constructed by steel and took the form of a cage which could be adapted into the necessary shape. This mode, called “The New Phantom,” rose in prominence in the 1880’s. New technology allowed for the cage to collapse when a lady sat down and expand when she rose and was considered infinitely more comfortable than the cumbersome cushions of the past.

For the Queen’s 1887 Golden Jubilee, a variation of this tournure was made as a special novelty. When a woman rose, a mechanism would release, causing a music box to play “God Save the Queen.” The phenomenon was short-lived.

The Victoria & Albert Museum





Object of the Day: An Antique Hardstone Cameo Stickpin

Since the Third Century BC, cameos have been a popular art form used in everything from seals to jewelry. During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, cameo jewelry wasn’t just reserved for women. Gentlemen wore cameos in rings, watch fobs and stickpins. Only in recent years have cameos been exclusively the stuff of women’s jewelry.


This lovely hardstone cameo has been set into a delicate stickpin which dates to the late Nineteenth Century. Set in a gold bezel, the cameo is a dramatic contrast of white and black, showing a neatly carved profile of a woman in classical style.

Onyx, jet and dark sardonyx jewelry was often set aside to be worn during a time of mourning when the choices for adornment were limited. A stickpin such as this could have added a bit of pizzazz to mourning attire without being overly flashy. Today, she serves as a reminder of a sense of style and beauty which, also, has sadly passed.

Object of the Day: A Moonstone Stickpin

Mystical and mysterious, the moonstone was a popular gem of the Victorian era. It was prized for its milky blue glow and the way in which it seemed to absorb light. Moonstone was frequently used with other stones in elaborate settings, but it often found itself center stage.


Such is the case of this lovely English stickpin of 9 karat gold. The large moonstone is set into a sterling silver bezel which has been chased with a minute pattern of laurel leaves. A stickpin such as this would have been used by a gentleman in less-formal situations such as daily business or trips to the country.

Just as appealing as the day it was set, this moonstone stickpin continues to demonstrate the ethereal refraction which made this simple stone a super star.