Shawl

Unknown

1860–70 · silk · Costume Institute

Shawls of this type were de rigueur for wearing with the large hoop skirts of the 1860s. The size of the shawls and the design configuration corresponded to the fullness of the skirt so that the entire back central pattern could be displayed when worn. A rigid architectural form contrasting with organic plant forms was a favored design scheme. The three-section design is particularly complex.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1860–70

Medium

silk

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 Josephine W. How, 1938