Handkerchief
Unknown Artist
1840–60
Medium
Linen
Classification
Handkerchief
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 Mr. and Mrs. James Wood, 1958
Accession Number
2009.300.5023
Art Historical Context
This delicate linen handkerchief, crafted by an unknown American artist between 1840 and 1860, offers a glimpse into the everyday elegance of mid-19th-century life. Handkerchiefs like this were essential accessories for both men and women, carried in pockets or sleeves as practical items for hygiene, signaling, or even flirtation during the Victorian era's emphasis on refinement and modesty. Made from fine linen—a lightweight, breathable fabric prized for its durability and coolness in warm climates—this piece reflects the growing American textile industry, which increasingly produced high-qua...