Parasol

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This parasol was possibly for mourning, with just a touch of white, indicating the next stage of deep mourning. Extremely elegant in its simplicity, the wood handle is beautifully curved. The extra touch of the white balls on the tips of the ribs adds to its sense of understated refinement.

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