Parasol

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Parasols were for show, carried as an accessory to complete a toilette. This example is fitted with a crook at top so it could be carried with the canopy down for a more elegant line than carrying it from the handle end. In addition, this shows off the tiers of feminine ruffles.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art