John Bull
Hat
1987 (made)
1987 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This black felt hat comes from Vivienne Westwood's 'Harris Tweed' collection of Autumn / Winter 1987-88. Westwood was inspired by English tailoring and cutting for this collection, which included a number of notable hats such as a crown made from Harris tweed and this hat entitled 'John Bull'.
'John Bull', is a caricature figure who first appeared in 1712. He is often referred to as a national personification of England and is typically depicted wearing a shallow crowned top hat with curved brim.
Westwood has exaggerated the proportions of this hat and the inside of the crown contains a black padded band in order to avoid the hat slipping down over the wearer's face. This hat was worn by a man, but was designed to be worn with both menswear and womenswear pieces.
'John Bull', is a caricature figure who first appeared in 1712. He is often referred to as a national personification of England and is typically depicted wearing a shallow crowned top hat with curved brim.
Westwood has exaggerated the proportions of this hat and the inside of the crown contains a black padded band in order to avoid the hat slipping down over the wearer's face. This hat was worn by a man, but was designed to be worn with both menswear and womenswear pieces.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | John Bull (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Blocked felt |
| Brief description | Blocked felt flat topped hat 'John Bull', designed by Vivienne Westwood, London, 1987 |
| Physical description | Black felt flat topped hat with a large crown and curled brim. |
| Credit line | Given by David Barber, in memory of Rupert Michael Dolan |
| Object history | Registered File number 1991/2009. |
| Production | Harris Tweed collection of Autumn / Winter 1987-1988 |
| Summary | This black felt hat comes from Vivienne Westwood's 'Harris Tweed' collection of Autumn / Winter 1987-88. Westwood was inspired by English tailoring and cutting for this collection, which included a number of notable hats such as a crown made from Harris tweed and this hat entitled 'John Bull'. 'John Bull', is a caricature figure who first appeared in 1712. He is often referred to as a national personification of England and is typically depicted wearing a shallow crowned top hat with curved brim. Westwood has exaggerated the proportions of this hat and the inside of the crown contains a black padded band in order to avoid the hat slipping down over the wearer's face. This hat was worn by a man, but was designed to be worn with both menswear and womenswear pieces. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.244-1991 |
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| Record created | June 10, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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