On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Hat
Designer Valentina American
Not on view
This hat form, a version of which Valentina first encountered in the early 1920s as theatrical costume when she belonged to a theater troupe, recalls the shape of broad-brimmed hats worn for centuries in China as protection from the elements. Variations of the type appeared in her collections for decades, and Valentina was particularly fond of wearing the style herself. This example was originally worn by the actress Lillian Gish, a longtime client of Valentina’s.