Bonnet

Unknown

ca. 1870 · fur, silk · Costume Institute

High-style verticality and luxurious material are blended with witty detailing in this fetching winter bonnet. The whimsical mink head ornament with upright tails evokes the playful and impish charm of the mischievous animal. Family history records that this hat was worn by the wife of Joseph Wechsler, a partner of the firm Wechsler and Abraham, predecessor to the great Brooklyn retailer Abraham & Straus.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1870

Medium

fur, silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Gustave Henry Schiff, 1951