#6461 $450
Fancy silk wire-frame bonnet, c.1880-1890
The picture below, from Harper's Bazaar in 1885, shows how this style of bonnet looked when perched on top of a lady's high-piled coiffure.
Constructed on a wire frame, the bonnet features a mix of embroidered silk organza, gros grain ribbon with picot edges, metallic lace, and faux pearls, topped off with a bouquet of berries with hand painted velvet leaves—quite delectable!
The lush palette features a plenteous autumn harvest of rich hues: russet, copper, and wheat browns for the "leaves"; purple, black, ivory, and hunter green for the "berries."
This charming bonnet, from the Birkenbine estate in Philadelphia, is featured on page 84 of "Hats With Values" by Desire Smith, Schiffer Publishing, 1996.
The condition is almost excellent. There are a few minor splits in the silk; some are on the bottom-back neck ruffle and two are on the back of the bonnet. The silk is stable and is not shattering.
One size fits all. The bonnet is 10 1/2" tall.
