Bonnet

Unknown

ca. 1880 · silk, feather, bird · Costume Institute

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1880

Medium

silk, feather, bird

Culture

probably French

Department

Costume Institute

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