Parasol

Small marquise parasol in lilac silk and écru lace fringed with silk. The folding handle is made of ivory and embossed metal with embedded semi-precious stones (amethysts and turquoises) and enamel decorations. The lining is in taffeta.

Umbrellas were first used as parasols in the West in the sixteenth century; these were originally made from a heavy ivory frame covered in leather or very thick fabric and would have been carried by a servant. Over time, the parasol evolved into increasingly convenient and elegant models until becoming an indispensable feminine accessory in a lady’s wardrobe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Elaborately designed and decorated, it is covered with lightweight fabric and embellished with lace and ribbon; collapsible models were also popular.

 Donated by Wanda Ferragamo.