Parasol
Carriage parasols were popularized by Queen Victoria in the 1840s and continued to be popular through the nineteenth century. They were distinguished for their size and carried as decorative accessories which served some function of shading the face from the sun, as close-fitting fashionable hats at that time did not. The claw and ball motif found on the handle was also a popular motif in furniture legs of the Queen Anne and Chippendale styles. It is a representation of a bird's claw grasping a ball and is thought to be derived from the Chinese dragon's claw holding a crystal ball or jewel.
Artwork Details
- Title: Parasol
- Manufacturer: Fortis
- Date: 1860–65
- Culture: American
- Medium: silk, tortoiseshell, metal, wood
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Sidney W. Davidson, 1957
- Object Number: 2009.300.2451
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Mme. Grapanche
1884–86
American
1860–65
American
1835
American
ca. 1835
American
1820–30
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