Coat

Gallina

1920 · silk, wool, metal · Costume Institute

Today, as in the 1920s, dogs are sometimes seen as fashion accessories with different breeds rising and falling in popularity according to prevailing tastes. Small dogs known as the "toy" breeds often appear in ads of the 1920s, fulfilling the dual role of companion and status symbol for stylish women. This couture ensemble clearly was meant for just such a pampered pet. It includes this coat, as well as a matching collar and leash, and features refined details, such as gold-tone metal studs, fine silk textiles and a tag engraved with the name of the dog, a Pomeranian named "Fifi." Decked out in this set, Fifi would have been an accessory as alluring as a fetching hat or elegant parasol.

Artist

Gallina

Date

1920

Medium

silk, wool, metal

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Caroline U. Weber and John W. Weber, 1944