Kerchief
Unknown Artist
1840–50
Medium
Cotton
Classification
Kerchief
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 Mrs.Arthur Nilsen, 1933
Accession Number
2009.300.4242
Art Historical Context
This delicate cotton kerchief, crafted by an unknown American artist between 1840 and 1850, offers a glimpse into everyday 19th-century fashion from the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kerchiefs like this were versatile accessories—worn over the head, around the neck, or draped across the shoulders—providing both practicality and modest coverage for women in domestic, social, or labor settings during the antebellum era. Made from cotton, a staple fabric of the time, this piece reflects America's booming textile industry, fueled by Southern plantations and Northern mills. ...