Hat
1818-1823 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Early 19th-century etiquette required a lady’s head to be covered at all times, even with evening dress. A cap such as this one, gathered and full to suggest the shape of a turban, was popular for evening wear about 1820. The Romantic movement created an interest in the dress of non-European countries, particularly North Africa and the Middle East. Decorative motifs and accessories were borrowed to make current fashions more ‘exotic’. Although knowledge of the proper proportions and construction of a turban was not available to British milliners, the overall shape was approximated for the most fashionable headwear.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk, silk thread, paper, cotton, wire; hand-sewn |
| Brief description | Woman's hat, 1818-1823, British; turban-shape, ivory satin & artificial flowers |
| Physical description | A full cap of white satin gathered into a headband in imitation of a turban. The crown is inset with white net embroidered in circles with white silk thread. The headband is of white satin with three horizontal tucks and edged with white silk plush. Trimmed on one side with artificial flowers made of wired green paper leaves and white muslin rosebuds |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Henry Curtis |
| Summary | Early 19th-century etiquette required a lady’s head to be covered at all times, even with evening dress. A cap such as this one, gathered and full to suggest the shape of a turban, was popular for evening wear about 1820. The Romantic movement created an interest in the dress of non-European countries, particularly North Africa and the Middle East. Decorative motifs and accessories were borrowed to make current fashions more ‘exotic’. Although knowledge of the proper proportions and construction of a turban was not available to British milliners, the overall shape was approximated for the most fashionable headwear. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.261-1926 |
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| Record created | May 22, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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