Hat
Shepard Company
ca. 1903 · horsehair, straw · Costume Institute
Straw is one of the most basic and consistently used materials in hat making, and its long history has provided the time necessary for refined techniques and designs to develop. This hat takes an interesting twist on that tradition by using straw - in the form of string and small balls embroidered on horsehair braid - as the decorative element rather than the primary structure. The undulating brim and general proportions give a sense of refinement and show the elevated level of craftsmanship which extended to American-made products.
- Artist
- Shepard Company
- Date
- ca. 1903
- Medium
- horsehair, straw
- 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 Marie Reimer, 1949
