There are 2 other images of this object. This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions), and as such we offer a high-resolution image of it. See our image rights statement.
See more objects with the color darkkhaki dimgrey tan darkslategrey olivedrab or see all the colors for this object.
Object Timeline
|
1952 |
|
|
1991 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2012 |
|
|
2015 |
|
|
2024 |
|
Nightcap
This is a Nightcap. It is dated 18th century and we acquired it in 1952. Its medium is silk, metallic yarn (silver foil wrapped around silk core), flat foil strip and its technique is embroidered in satin stitches on plain weave. It is a part of the Textiles department.
This nightcap consists of four embroidered sections of cloth joined and bordered with braided lace made of silver-wrapped thread. The lower edge, embroidered on the opposite side, is folded up to form a brim. The style of the embroidery, which also uses silver-wrapped thread, is called chinoiserie (Chinese-esque), and includes imaginary, exotic-looking flowers that represent a fanciful European idea of the East. This nightcap was probably embroidered by women in a workshop overseen by male tailors, and used to keep a man’s head warm when he removed his wig. Men of many social classes wore wigs, even during the most informal social gatherings. Nightcaps were worn whenever the wigs were removed, during private work or intimate meetings like the morning toilette, when elite men received guests such as merchants and religious advisors while attendants helped them to dress and to curl and powder their wigs. Nightcaps also appear in portraits of some artists, writers, and doctors to suggest the timelessness of their professions.
This object was
donated by
Richard Cranch Greenleaf (American, 1887–1961).
It is credited Gift of Richard C. Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline E. Greenleaf.
- Cap (Spain)
- silk.
- Gift of Richard C. Greenleaf.
- 1951-105-35
Its dimensions are
H x circumference: 22.2 x 60 cm (8 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.)
Cite this object as
Nightcap; silk, metallic yarn (silver foil wrapped around silk core), flat foil strip; H x circumference: 22.2 x 60 cm (8 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.); Gift of Richard C. Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline E. Greenleaf; 1952-47-1
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Cooper-Hewitt Collections: A Design Resource.
