- Attributed to
- Smith-Mason, Helen, American, 1911 - 1985
- Subject of
- Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
- Date
- 1940s
- Medium
- wool twill with wool yarn, glass beads, silk velvet, and synthetic taffeta
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 25 × 9 × 7 × 12 1/2 in. (63.5 × 22.9 × 17.8 × 31.8 cm)
- Description
- A red beaded cap with brown silk velvet ties. The outer layer of the cap is composed of four wool twill triangular pieces that are herringbone stitched to each other with dark brown wool yarn. There is a single dart on the right and left front of the hat. Dark brown and light brown wool yarn are looped together at center top, forming a squatchee. Each red panel of wool fabric is hand embellished with light brown cross stitches and seed beads – silver glass seed beads for the proper front left and proper back right panels, and black glass seed beads for the proper front right panel and the proper back left. A brown silk velvet fabric tie is sewn to the bottom of the back left and right triangular panel. The hat is lined with four plaid synthetic taffeta pieces that are handstitched together and stitched to the outside of the hat with a Herringbone stitch. The plaid lining is blue, red, yellow, and green. There is no label, but the name "HELEN MASON' is hand sewn in the CB interior lining.
- Cataloging Notes
- This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
- Collection title
- Black Fashion Museum Collection
- Classification
- Clothing - Fashion and Historical
- Type
- hats
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Craftsmanship
- Fashion
- Fashion design
- Millinery
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
- Object number
- 2007.3.607
- Restrictions & Rights
- No known copyright restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




