Wooden Hat Stand and Brown Calico Heart Bonnet Duet Beautiful

I don’t think there is anything more appropriate and more pleasing than to display a bonnet or two in our bedrooms whether they hang from a Shaker peg rack or from a special hat stand. These wonderful textiles soften the look and create instant charm! This contemporary calico bonnet is accompanied by a beautiful old hat stand that does an incredible job of displaying this textile.

The hat stand has honest wear and exhibits a warm and delicious patina. The large size gives us a hint that this piece may have been used in a millinery store during the early 20th century. The center shaft can be turned and does come apart from the base but the reasoning behind this feature is unknown. There is a simple incised circle in the center of the shaft. The simple form portrays a mushroom shaped top, graduated shaft and a turned base. One tiny chip is present on the edge of the base as shown in image 1. Other than that this stand is in good overall condition without any other chips or cracks to report.

I happened to find a brown calico bonnet that shows very well on this stand. It is a contemporary piece but does have the unique “stay” feature that actually makes this bonnet look even better placed on a stand rather than placed on a Shaker peg which may be too short for bonnets fashioned in this manner. The “stays” in this case are fashioned from carboard that is inserted in the openings provided at the top front location of the bonnet as shown in images 9 & 10.

Ties are located in the back and can be worked into a bow. The gentle graduated curve in the back makes for a nice feature as this fabric has been gathered to create body to this textile. The printed fabric used to fashion this piece has no inside lining. There are several tiny holes located on the backside of the bonnet toward the rear of the head area but are not present in the front as referenced in image 11. This piece is machine done using chocolate brown thread.

Alternating tiny hearts in cornflower blue, bittersweet red and buttermilk connected to a cluster of tan colored leaves set against a chocolate ground are a sweet and folksy pronounced design element in the calico fabric.

Bonnets are ever so popular in country decorating that I believe we would all get a demerit if we did not have at least one in our homes. LOL! This dazzling duo will lend softness to any room it is placed in and will stand out as if to say a warm “Hello” to all passersby! Enjoy!

Overall height including the bonnet is 17 ¼”. Hat Stand is 17 ¼” tall, measures 3 ¼” across the top and measures 5 ¾” across the bottom base. Bonnet measures 12” in the front, measures 13 ½” in the back, measures 6 ½” top front to back area and measures 9” from the lower front to the back.