Bonnet
MillinerMade by
Unknown
Date1855-1865
MediumHand-stitched three-tone braided straw or grass, lined with net, trimmed with silk ribbon, net lace, tulle, and faux flowers, with loosely-woven cotton with covered wires used to support the edges
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 12 7/8 x 8 3/8 x 7 3/4in. (32.7 x 21.3 x 19.7cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of Harriette Harrison
Object number1960.77.14
DescriptionWoman's spoon-shaped bonnet made of four-tone braided straw or grass trimmed under the brim with faux flowers and laces and decorated on the crown with silk ribbon. The braid is made of four different plant fibers: one is a light, golden-brown color; the second is a deep reddish-brown color (a dyed color); the third is a flat reed of a medium brown; and the fourth a dark brown, flat reed. The brim (or "poke") is wide at the center top (five inches), narrowing quickly to the sides (three inches), which extend down several inches below the line at the back of the neck. This shaping creates a flared brim above the face, on which has been stitched a mass of pink fabric flowers and a closely gathered strip of black net lace with a roll of white tulle underneath. Under this trim, the underside of the brim has been lined with a layer of very loosely-woven, white fabric. A piece of white lace attached to this tulle indicates there may be some white lace missing from this grouping. A covered wire is used to shape and support the edge of the brim. Stitched just beneath the decorations, to rest against the front of the head as a support, is a 7/8-inch-wide roll of what appears to be six layers of a heavy, cotton net. The ends of the brim form narrow points that curve up and back to the crown. The line formed by the brim and crown at the top of the bonnet extends eleven inches to the back. The oval back of the crown measures four inches wide x 4 1/2 inches high. The side of the crown at the base of the neck measures 1 5/8 inches in depth. The bottom of the bonnet, from the inner curves of the brim along the base of the crown, is stabilized by a strip of braided, plain straw, upon which is stitched a covered wire. The sides of the crown are also lined with the loosely-woven, white fabric. The outside of the bonnet is decorated with a wide silk ribbon also used to form the ties as well as the curtain ("bavolet") at the back of the neck. The light, orange-brown ribbon is 3 5/8 inches wide. It is folded and stitched to the narrow front points of the brim, then draped over the top with a large bow completing the effect. The ribbon continues as the ties, approximately two inches in length, ending in a slight diagonal. The curtain, 3 3/8 inches wide and lined with net, is edged at the bottom with a fine wire to shape the double pleats.
Status
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