The cape is sold!
The current owner bought it in London at a jumble sale in the 1980s. It has been in her closet since then. She was told it was created during the Victorian period. The bead work is almost completely intact and just needs a tiny bit of loving care to restore it to near-perfect glory. The owner of Black Swan Books, Bonnie, is the gal to contact about this lovely piece.
Here are the snapshots:
