Woman's hat 1930 - 1940

This woman’s hat, made with fabric, embroidery, and metal, sits in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, though its maker is unknown. I love that; it’s so pure, isn’t it? Some totally unknown person made this thing! Look at the density of the embroidery, the sheer amount of work. There is some kind of red-on-red action happening, like a Seurat painting with all those tiny dots. It seems to flow with a real confidence as the maker worked, not too precious, like it was improvised. The piece has all this amazing texture, with tassels and metal bits, and a huge red tail kind of dragging behind. If you look closely, you can see the patterns embedded in the weave of the fabric itself. The hat feels really contemporary to me, the way it manages to be both functional and totally flamboyant. Like an El Anatsui sculpture, maybe, but wearable.