Mourning top hat

Art Historical Context

This striking mourning top hat, crafted in 1890 by the American maker Knox, exemplifies the formal rituals of grief that shaped Victorian-era fashion on both sides of the Atlantic. In the late nineteenth century, elaborate codes of mourning dictated every detail of dress, from the depth of black fabric to the choice of accessories. A top hat like this one would have been worn by men during periods of bereavement, its somber silhouette signaling respect and social propriety while conforming to the era’s expectations of masculine formality. The hat’s materials—silk, fur, and cotton—highlight bo...