Description
A VERY RARE, ANTIQUE VICTORIAN, OLD STORE STOCK, NEW HAT, WITH THE ORIGINAL PRICE TAG. THE HAT WAS PURCHASED ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO, AT AN OLD GENERAL STORE THAT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR SIXTY YEARS. THE STORE HAD INVENTORY GOING BACK TO THE 1880's. THE HAT IS NATURAL STRAW, WITH A BURGUNDY COTTON BAND, AND BOW. THE BURGUNDY COTTON HAS DELICATE WHITE FLORAL PRINT. THE CENTER OF THE BAND, AND THE TOP EDGE, OF EACH BOW " LOOP " IS ADORNED WITH BRAIDED STRAW. SOME OF THE BRAIDED STRAW, IS NATURAL, AND THE REST HAS A SHINY COVERING OVER THE STRAW, IN SHADES OF BURGUNDY, GOLD, AND GRAYISH GREEN. VERY UNIQUE, AND VERY BEAUTIFUL. THE HAT IS FURTHER EMBELLISHED WITH AN IVORY, AND A PINK, CLOTH FLOWER, WITH TAN CHEESE CLOTH TYPE LEAVES. THERE IS A " TUFT " OF GRAYISH FABRIC, ATTACHED TO THE BAND, IN THE CENTER BACK OF THE HAT. THE STRAW BRIM IS SCALLOPED. THE INSIDE OF THE HAT, HAS A PINK CLOTH, LINING THE CROWN. THE CENTER OF THE CROWN, STILL HAS THE PAPER LINING, THAT MOST HATS FROM THIS TIME HAD, WHEN YOU PURCHASED THEM. THE ORIGINAL STORE TAG IS STILL STITCHED TO THE HAT. THE TAG HAS WRITTEN IN PENCIL: A 2 / 98. MEASUREMENTS: BRIM - 13 1/2" BY JUST UNDER 12 1/2" IN DIAMETER. THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE CROWN IS APPROXIMATELY 17". CONDITION: THE STRAW BRAIDING ENCIRCLING THE BRIM HAS A 1 1/2" SECTION MISSING, AND ONE POINT OF THE BRAID, MISSING IN ANOTHER SECTION OF THE BRIM. THE STRAW BRAIDING, EDGING THE BOW, HAS A SMALL LOSS. THERE ARE IMPERFECTIONS IN THE BRAIDING FROM AGE INCLUDING SEVERAL SPLITS, TINY CHIPS, NICKS, A FEW STRAY PIECES THAT CAME UNBRAIDED. THE COTTON BAND AND BOW, HAVE SOME COLOR VARIATION. THE FLOWERS, AND LEAVES, HAVE FADED WITH SOME AGE COLOR. THE LEAVES HAVE SOME HOLES. THE GRAY " TUFT " HAS AGE COLOR, AND FADING. THE SCALLOPED BRIM HAS SOME LOSES, AND IMPERFECTIONS. THE PINK FLOWER HAS BLED OVER THE YEARS, ONTO THE STRAW ON THE CROWN, UNDER IT. THIS IS ONLY SEEN IF YOU LIFT THE FLOWER. THE HAT IS DUSTY FROM STORAGE. I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN IT , FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING THE HAT. AN INCREDIBLY RARE, AND BEAUTIFUL HAT!
