Accessory

Unknown

first quarter 20th century · fur, cotton, silk · Costume Institute

The foot warmer was an essential accessory to winter travel in an unheated or open carriage or automobile. As with coats, boots, lap robes and other winter attire, fur was the material of choice for those who could afford it. This example in jaguar skin is the non-plus-ultra in luxury, and such an item could only be afforded by people of considerable wealth and pretense to fashion. Jaguar has always been one of the most rare and expensive of furs, and its use as a foot warmer attests to the social status of the owner.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first quarter 20th century

Medium

fur, cotton, silk

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 Mrs. Frederick H. Prince, Jr., 1967