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• Lot n° 33 A rare Mexican Maximilian Period 'manga' cape Circa 1862-1870 The finely woven purple floss wool circular cape with center back seam, a narrow contrast ivory wool border with blue, red, and pink multicolored floating elements, and a deep navy velvet collar held with two silver fox head clasps, the cape edges trimmed with finely twisted purple and cream wool yarn fringe Center front: 36.5" H; Center back: 39.5" H (excluding fringe); fringe: 4" H; 75.5" Dia. approximately Other notes: Unlike the more familiar rectangular sarape, the present work represents the rare manga form, a cape associated with Spanish and colonial equestrian dress. Woven with the fine imported pre-dyed yarns characteristic of the Maximilian Period, it features an uncommon deep purple field, likely produced using one of the newly developed synthetic aniline violet dyes introduced from Europe during the 1860s, bordered in ivory, with a blue velvet collar fitted with a double fox-head silver clasp and a heavy twisted purple and cream wool fringe. Purple has long been regarded as one of the rarest and most prestigious textile colors. Before the development of synthetic dyes, durable purple colorants were difficult to produce, and many natural purple dyes proved fugitive over time. The rarity of stable purple dyes contributed to the color's long association with European royalty, giving rise to the term "royal purple." The introduction of synthetic aniline violet dyes during the nineteenth century made brilliant purple hues more readily achievable while preserving their association with luxury and refinement. Overall good condition with dust accumulation, light creasing, and wear commensurate with age and use. The left center front edge with eight woven slits, likely for fastening. A few scattered small holes, small areas of loose weave, and very shallow insect grazing in a few places. The purple wool with areas of color variation to each side. The exterior with a few faint patchy pale spots front and back, and a few areas of patchy fading. The collar with fading/discoloration and small holes to the top along the crease. The fringe with scattered single and multiple losses, with some strands untwisted. The silver clasps are tarnished and one partially detached with loose stitching to one side.