Wedding headdress
Unknown Artist
1840s
Medium
silk, metal, plaster, wax
Classification
Wedding Headdress
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1976
Accession Number
1976.60.21
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegance of 1840s with this exquisite *Wedding Headdress*, a delicate treasure from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume. Crafted by an artist, this piece captures the romantic ideals of mid-19th-century bridal fashion when weddings were grand social events blending sentimentality and opulence. Acquired through the Irene Lewisohn Be in 1976, it reflects the era's emphasis on elaborate attire that symbolized purity, prosperity, and marital bliss. The headdress showcases innovative millinery techniques, combining luxurious silk for its soft drape and sheen with metal elements ...