Bonnet
Date1770-1780
OriginEngland
MediumBlack ribbed silk, boned brim with baleen stays.
DimensionsDepth front to back: 13 1/2"; width approx. 12"; height approx. 8" (if stuffed).
Brim about 5 1/2" long at center front.
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1993-335
DescriptionWoman's hat or bonnet of black ribbed silk. Boned brim of doubled fabric with 7 baleen stays and a stiffening (probably baleen) around the outer edge of the brim. Puffy, mushroom-shaped crown is pleated to the boned brim, adjusted with a ribbon drawstring at center back. Ruffled fabric and front bow are tacked at the juncture between the crown and the brim. Unlined.Label TextThis rare hat has a puffed crown and bill stiffened with baleen stays. Hats of this style were fashionable in the 1770s and 1780s.
