Miniature Millinery Masterpieces
"A woman can be overdressed but never over elegant." – Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel
The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 28th of May is “headwear in square”, which can be any kind of headwear, so long as it is cropped into a square image. Anyone who follows my photostream knows that I love and collect 1:12 size miniatures which I photograph in realistic scenes. The artifice of recreating in minute detail items in 1:12 scale always amazes me, and it’s amazing how the eye can be fooled. Therefore, when the theme came up, I immediately thought of some of my miniature artisan hats, which really are exquisite little pieces of art in their own right. 1:12 size miniature hats made to such exacting standards of quality and realism are often far more expensive than real hats are. When you think that one would sit comfortably on the tip of your index finger, yet it could cost in excess of $150.00 or £100.00, makes them an extravagance. American artists seem to have the monopoly on this skill and some of the hats that I have seen or acquired over the years are remarkable. I have selected five of my favourites for you today. I hope you like my choice for the theme this week, and that it makes you smile.
Going clockwise from the top left-hand corner:
“Shona” (yes, this hat actually has a name, just like hats from the Golden Age of Fashion) is a purple Edwardian toque in the style popular just before and after the Great War. Made of soft velvet, she is covered in silk flowers and lace and is made by Miss Amelia’s Miniatures in the Canary Islands. It is an artisan miniature made just like a real hat, right down to a tag in the inside of the crown to show where the back of the hat is!
The camel coloured wide brimmed Edwardian picture hat is made of brown felt and is trimmed with miniature coffee coloured braid. The brim is decorated with hand curled feathers, dyed to match the shade of the hat, as well as a spray of golden “grapes” and dyed flowers. Acquired from an American miniatures collector who was divesting herself of some of her collection, I am unsure who the maker was, other than both this and the green hat were made by the same American miniature artisan.
The romantic cream wide brimmed summer hat decorated with pink satin roses and ribbons, and trimmed on the underside with the finest lace, is reminiscent of the style of hats worn and made popular by the Queen Mother (then the newly minted Duchess of York) in the mid 1920s. The maker for this hat is unknown, but it is a part of a larger collection of 1:12 artisan hats and miniature accessories I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel.
The yellow straw hat decorated with ornamental flowers and an organza ribbon of lemon yellow is of late 1920s to early 1930s style. The maker for this hat is also unknown, but is another piece from the collection I bought from American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel.
The green coloured wide brimmed Edwardian picture hat is made of bright green felt and is trimmed with miniature turquoise coloured braid. The brim is decorated with hand curled feathers, dyed to match the shade of the hat, as well as a spray of silver silk flowers. Acquired from an American miniatures collector who was divesting herself of some of her collection, I am unsure who the maker was, other than both this and the camel hat were made by the same American miniature artisan.
Miniature Millinery Masterpieces
"A woman can be overdressed but never over elegant." – Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel
The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 28th of May is “headwear in square”, which can be any kind of headwear, so long as it is cropped into a square image. Anyone who follows my photostream knows that I love and collect 1:12 size miniatures which I photograph in realistic scenes. The artifice of recreating in minute detail items in 1:12 scale always amazes me, and it’s amazing how the eye can be fooled. Therefore, when the theme came up, I immediately thought of some of my miniature artisan hats, which really are exquisite little pieces of art in their own right. 1:12 size miniature hats made to such exacting standards of quality and realism are often far more expensive than real hats are. When you think that one would sit comfortably on the tip of your index finger, yet it could cost in excess of $150.00 or £100.00, makes them an extravagance. American artists seem to have the monopoly on this skill and some of the hats that I have seen or acquired over the years are remarkable. I have selected five of my favourites for you today. I hope you like my choice for the theme this week, and that it makes you smile.
Going clockwise from the top left-hand corner:
“Shona” (yes, this hat actually has a name, just like hats from the Golden Age of Fashion) is a purple Edwardian toque in the style popular just before and after the Great War. Made of soft velvet, she is covered in silk flowers and lace and is made by Miss Amelia’s Miniatures in the Canary Islands. It is an artisan miniature made just like a real hat, right down to a tag in the inside of the crown to show where the back of the hat is!
The camel coloured wide brimmed Edwardian picture hat is made of brown felt and is trimmed with miniature coffee coloured braid. The brim is decorated with hand curled feathers, dyed to match the shade of the hat, as well as a spray of golden “grapes” and dyed flowers. Acquired from an American miniatures collector who was divesting herself of some of her collection, I am unsure who the maker was, other than both this and the green hat were made by the same American miniature artisan.
The romantic cream wide brimmed summer hat decorated with pink satin roses and ribbons, and trimmed on the underside with the finest lace, is reminiscent of the style of hats worn and made popular by the Queen Mother (then the newly minted Duchess of York) in the mid 1920s. The maker for this hat is unknown, but it is a part of a larger collection of 1:12 artisan hats and miniature accessories I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel.
The yellow straw hat decorated with ornamental flowers and an organza ribbon of lemon yellow is of late 1920s to early 1930s style. The maker for this hat is also unknown, but is another piece from the collection I bought from American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel.
The green coloured wide brimmed Edwardian picture hat is made of bright green felt and is trimmed with miniature turquoise coloured braid. The brim is decorated with hand curled feathers, dyed to match the shade of the hat, as well as a spray of silver silk flowers. Acquired from an American miniatures collector who was divesting herself of some of her collection, I am unsure who the maker was, other than both this and the camel hat were made by the same American miniature artisan.