Martinis and Mourning at the Met

When I last left you, GK and I were on our way to the Met.  The air was bitingly cold, but the sun was shining and the sky was a gorgeous clear blue.

Upon arriving at the museum, we didn't really have an agenda, so we looked at the list of temporary exhibits, and the show that was being featured at the Costume Institute caught our eye.  Titled "Death Becomes Her," it was a showcase of women's mourning attire from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The black of the dresses made a striking contrast to the white of the mannequins, and a noticeable hush hung over the air of the gallery, as if all the visitors had silently agreed that the solemn subject matter deserved respect and reverence.
Some of the garments were simple and black while others sported more intricate detailing and different colors.  The grey dress in the photo above was a wedding dress for a bride who was married during the Civil War.  She wasn't in mourning for a particular family member, but her attire was instead a sign of respect and mourning for all of those lives being lost in the War.

I wonder if the tradition and social rules of mourning attire were both welcomed and detested by women in equal parts.  On the one hand, immediately following a death, I'm sure that it would have been helpful to wordlessly signal to people that you were going through an upsetting time.  However, after a while, always wearing black might have kept you in a somber mood when you were trying to move forward and find happiness again.

We found it very interesting that there were apparently different stages of mourning dress.  As you moved away from the time of death and entered half-mourning, more colors could be incorporated, as long as they were still dark in tone.  

All of the dresses were beautiful, but GK and I are always drawn to shiny things, and this exhibit was no exception.  These were our favorites:

These dresses were worn in the British court after the reign of Queen Victoria.  Following Prince Albert's death, Victoria had stayed in mourning for the rest of her life, and after her death the rules of mourning attired gradually relaxed.  

After leaving this exhibit, we wandered around the Middle Ages and Asia for a bit, and then it was time for an afternoon pick-me-up, so we went to the second floor to the Great Hall Balcony Bar.  If you need a bit of a rest (or a cocktail) during a weekend trip to the museum, this place is well worth a visit.  The tables are on either side of the balcony area...so you either get a view down into the Great Hall...

or you get to sit in front of a display case of Ming vases and admire the gorgeous architecture that surrounds you....

while listening to live classical music, drinking martinis, and feeling swanky.  Speaking of martinis, GK and I started with the Lychee variety.

These were strong but still wonderfully smooth, just the way a good cocktail (and man) should be.

We gabbed and sipped our martinis, but then started to get a bit peckish, so we snacked on truffled popcorn and chocolate covered strawberries, accompanied by some bubbly, of course.

By this point, it had gotten dark outside, but we felt rejuvenated and decided to have a wander around Egypt before leaving.  It wasn't long before we stumbled upon the Temple of Dendur.

If you've never visited this area of the museum at night, I'd highly recommend it.  It's a quiet time in what's normally a busy space, and everything seems still and peaceful and a little magical.  You truly feel transported to an ancient time and place.

We had seen priceless objects from Asia, 19th-Century America and England, medieval Europe, and ancient Egypt, all in one day.  It was now time to set off in search of another great treasure:  dinner. 

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