Bonnet
MillinerMade by
Unknown
Date1860-1870
MediumHand-stitched braided straw, with silk ribbons, silk fabric, loosely woven cotton fabric, net, and wire
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 8 3/8 x 6 3/8 x 7in. (21.3 x 16.2 x 17.8cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of the Maison Company
Object number1985.24.2
DescriptionWoman's bonnet of dark brown braided straw with rusty-brown silk ribbon trim. The brim lies close to the face at the sides, angling up at the center top, which is four inches wide. The underside of the brim is lined with black silk. Wire is stitched under the silk at the outer edge to stiffen the brim all around. The ends of the brim are several inches longer than the line at the back of the neck. These ends are slightly pointed, angling back to meet the line at the base of the crown. The crown is approximately 3 1/2 inches deep at the center top and a scant half inch at the neck. The oval back is four inches wide and five inches high. A wide (3 1/4 inches) ribbon of a rusty-red color is used to decorate this bonnet. The ribbon is draped around the intersection between the crown and brim and around to the bottom edge of the crown. The same ribbon is used as ties and for a narrow curtain (1 5/8 inches wide) along the bottom edge. This curtain (or "bavolet"), lined with net, has a box pleat at the center back and a single pleat at each side. The ties extend a minimum of nineteen inches from the brim. There is a set of narrower ties attached to the brim beneath the wider silk ribbons. These ties are a light brown silk ribbon, one inch wide. The crown is a strip of brown, loosely-woven cotton fabric stitched to the inside around the edge. The bottom of the crown is reinforced with a strip of braided straw.
Status
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