Accessory set
1890–99
Medium
fur, silk
Classification
Accessory Set
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Eleanor F. Peck, 1969
Accession Number
2009.300.478a, b
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of late 19th-century American fashion, *Accessory Set* by C. G. Gunther's exemplifies the era's obsession with luxury and status. Crafted between 189 and 1899 from sumptuous fur and silk, set—likely including items like a muff, stole, or collar—iled from one of New York's premier furriers, renowned for sourcing the finest pelts and tailoring them for elite clientele. During the Gilded Age, accessories were essential for fashionable women attending social events, blending practicality with extravagance amid New York's booming garment district. Fur's prominence in this peri...
About the Artist
C. G. Gunther's Sons · 1820–1820
C. G. Gunther's Sons, an esteemed American fashion house founded in 1820, emerged as a premier maker of luxury garments during the 19th century, particularly renowned for their exquisite fur accessories and outerwear. Established in New York City, the firm traced its roots to Christian G. Gunther, a German immigrant whose expertise in furriery laid the foundation for a family enterprise that cater...