Felt trimmed hat, made by Modes du Louvre, Paris, 1885

Brown felt trimmed hat, high crowned, with a narrow brim with feather and painted wooden bead decorations. Mounted with a specimen of a painted bird. With silk chenille and silk ribbons.

Purchase.

Worn with bustle dress T.715:1, 2-1997. The ensemble is believed to have been made for the trousseau of a French Duchess who married and emigrated to the US. She died shortly afterwards, hence the lack of wear to the pieces.

The feathers on this hat were examined by Mark Adams (Senior Curator, Bird Group) and his colleague in the Natural History Museum, Hein van Grouw, in 2009. Their analysis revealed that the majority of the feathers on the hat are from a virtually complete individual starling (Sturnus vulgaris). These feathers have been dyed pink but their shape, including the tips and edges, are still evident. It was harder to make a positive identification of the larger feathers which are mounted behind the bird specimen, as their original colour is difficult to establish. Their size, outline-shape and curvature do suggest however, that they are probably from a large Anatidae (goose or swan). [Letter from Mark Adams, Natural History Museum, to Roisin Morris, Textile Conservator, V&A, 24th September 2009.]

The hat was purchased from Christie's in 1997at £2239.63 for the entire ensemble.

T.715:3-1997