Antique (ca. 1880s) Burgundy Silk Velvet & Damask Bustle Gown- Museum Quality

This stunning two piece bustle gown is a true antique, dating to the mid 1880s. It consists of a tightly fitted silk velvet jacket with steel boning, and floor length bustle skirt made of silk damask with pleats and button detailing. It has an attached underskirt, and hook and eye closure. This item is in excellent antique condition, with wear commensurate with age, but no holes, rips, stains, etc. There is some slight discoloration at the hem on the pleats which appears to be simply water spots, and this should readily come out with cleaning (please see last photo.) It does have the slight musty odor often associated with antique garments. Measures: Bust (pit to pit): 14 Waist: 12 Front of Top: 20.5 Back: 23 Arm: 19 Shoulders: 12 Skirt Length: 39 I wanted to verify my identification as to the age of the dress, so I created a post on the Fashion Guild website. Following is the response to my query from a museum curator. "Yes it is. It's hard to be sure exactly where because it's not mounted with the correct undergarments, but it looks middly 80s, not earlier than 1883 and not later than 1888. The damask silk looks like it's inspired by Japanese silk patterns."