This boy’s home-made fancy dress costume has been designed, like so many others of the time, in the vein of characters from the Italian theatrical tradition of Commedia del’ Arte, particularly recalling that of Pulcinella with his sinister hook-nosed face mask, pointed hat and ruffled collar. The moon and stars clearly represent night or one of its creatures; contemporary sewing patterns for fancy dress decorated with moons and stars are given unspecific names such as ‘Tropic Night’ and ‘Lucky Moon’. The body of the garment is of white cotton, possibly a worn sheet, scattered with red cotton stars sewn on with white machine stitching; the boy’s head and the man in the moon have been embroidered in red and black thread. The legs were shortened with a large internal tuck at a later date. The mask, with black embroidered features, is attached to the hat that is internally stiffened.