Hat
1962 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This hat is a perfect example of the dramatic yet minimal sculptural shapes for which the Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga was known. Balenciaga established his eponymous couture house in Paris in 1937 but he already ran three couture houses in Spain under the name of Eisa. The Eisa ateliers were based in Madrid and Barcelona with a third in the chic summer resort of San Sebastian.
This hat is worn like a pillbox hat, perching on top of the head. It is secured by three internal haircombs to support the dramatic sculptural spirals rising up at the back. The clean lines and solid block colour exemplify the couturier's desire to strip things back to their simplest form.
This hat is worn like a pillbox hat, perching on top of the head. It is secured by three internal haircombs to support the dramatic sculptural spirals rising up at the back. The clean lines and solid block colour exemplify the couturier's desire to strip things back to their simplest form.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk |
| Brief description | Spiral hat of stiffened fabric covered in silk, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga for Eisa, Spain, 1962 |
| Physical description | Hat of stiffened fabric covered in cream silk. Spiral designed to perch on the head, seven rotations of spiral. Three combs on the underside of the hat. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'EISA' (Label inside hat) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Anonymous gift. |
| Object history | If the cost of his Paris salon was out of reach, there were other ways to buy a Balenciaga design. Some were sold less expensively under Balenciaga’s label Eisa in Spain, where labour costs were lower and cheaper fabrics might be used. |
| Production | Labelled Eisa - Balenciaga's Spanish couture house. Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | This hat is a perfect example of the dramatic yet minimal sculptural shapes for which the Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga was known. Balenciaga established his eponymous couture house in Paris in 1937 but he already ran three couture houses in Spain under the name of Eisa. The Eisa ateliers were based in Madrid and Barcelona with a third in the chic summer resort of San Sebastian. This hat is worn like a pillbox hat, perching on top of the head. It is secured by three internal haircombs to support the dramatic sculptural spirals rising up at the back. The clean lines and solid block colour exemplify the couturier's desire to strip things back to their simplest form. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.146-1998 |
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| Record created | March 14, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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