Hat
Designer
Mme. Pauline
c. 1955
Felt and taxidermic bird of paradise
Gift of Mrs. Otto Grun
Object number77.146.2
Adorned with a bird-of-paradise, this woman’s hat is an example of how feathers used by male birds in sexual display have been appropriated by fashion to emphasize female allure. Birds-of-paradise, which include some of nature’s most flamboyant avian species, were described by naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace as “the most beautiful of the feathered inhabitants of this earth.” Today, birds-of-paradise are protected against the harvesting of feathers.
DescriptionSmall free form black felt hat with rolled brim and trimmed across center front with bird of paradise that dips to either side with grosgrain head bandCollections
Exhibitions