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Parasol

French Workshop

Date
Second half of the 19th century
Inventory
Ancient Textiles no. 6941

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Umbrellas were first used as parasols in the West in the sixteenth century; these were originally made from a heavy ivory frame covered in leather or very thick fabric and would have been carried by a servant.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.

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