Bonnet
The use of feathers as a decorative element, rather than as stuffing, is a relatively new idea in the 1870s; by the 1880s the whole bird becomes a prevalent feature. The dark rich colors in a variety of shades echo the upholstered decor of the period.
The bonnet features a fine integration of color and ornament, with an excellent example of artistic feather work. The donor, Princess Viggo, was a niece of the Hewitt sisters, Sarah and Eleanor, who were the granddaughters of Peter Cooper and the founders of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Peter Cooper (1791-1883) was a prominent New Yorker and founder of the Cooper Union college.
The bonnet features a fine integration of color and ornament, with an excellent example of artistic feather work. The donor, Princess Viggo, was a niece of the Hewitt sisters, Sarah and Eleanor, who were the granddaughters of Peter Cooper and the founders of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Peter Cooper (1791-1883) was a prominent New Yorker and founder of the Cooper Union college.
Artwork Details
- Title: Bonnet
- Date: ca. 1880
- Culture: probably French
- Medium: silk, feather, bird
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Princess Viggo in accordance with the wishes of the Misses Hewitt, 1931
- Object Number: 2009.300.1417
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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