Official's Summer Hat and Hat Box

c. 1900
$2,480 USD
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Dimensions
H: 9.5" Dia: 14.5"
Materials
Silk
Bamboo
Glass
Purchase Quantity
Collection #
CFC148
Estimated Shipping
$75

No self-respecting man in Qing-dynasty China would leave the house without some kind of hat. Headgear was central to social status and those of title relied on their hat to convey their rank and cultural identity.

This conical hat is the summer hat of a Qing-dynasty official and would have been worn from the third month of the Chinese calendar until the eighth. Summer hats were woven of split bamboo and frequently lined with fine silks. A fringe of red silk cord drapes over the exterior, topped by a stone finial denoting the wearer's rank. The clear glass finial on this example denotes the fifth rank and is secured to the hat by a pierced brass fastener decorated with bats and scholars' objects.

When not in use, the hat was stored in the accompanying hat box, here decorated only by a blue fabric finish and a red silk lining. With its sculptural form and storied history, this summer hat is a fantastic collector's item and unique keepsake of the past.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.

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Elizabeth Krueger | Elizabeth Krueger Design

“PAGODA RED was extremely supportive in helping to pull accessory options together for the Lake Forest Showhouse. After providing them with details and our vision on how we were looking to finish our space, Laurene helped curate options that made it easy for us to edit and finalize. It's also no surprise that the unique pieces we used in our showhouse space were some of the first to sell.”

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