Umbrella
Patent/design registration not found
Needle Case
Design Details
Needle Case Type: |
Figural |
Patent/Registered to: |
Unknown |
Patent/Design Representation #: |
Unknown |
Patent/Design Registration Date: |
Unknown |
Location of Patent/Design Registration: |
Unknown |
Reference #: |
Unknown |
Dimensions: |
6.7 diameter x 7 |
Material: |
Brass |
Name Variations: |
Unmarked |
Other Variations: |
None |
Additional Photographs
Top and bottom views
Interior views with numbered sections for needle packets
Top detailed views
Facts
The umbrella is a device, made of a circular piece of cloth mounted on a collapsible frame with a handle, used to shield individuals
from rain or sun. Most small, portable hand-held umbrellas are for personal use, whereas the large umbrellas often found on patio
tables or on the beach are for groups. A parasol, like the Battenberg lace one shown below, is a lightweight umbrella used by women to
provide protection against the sun.
History
Although umbrellas have been around since ancient times, it wasn’t until the 17th century that they came into general use in France and
England. At first they were used primarily by the aristocracy whose servants would hold them over the heads of their masters.
Mass production techniques and the rise of the middle class lead to the umbrella becoming a fashion assessor during the Victorian Period
where it indicated the social status of the lady who carried it. At that time women with elaborate umbrellas were frequently found
on chromolithography cards like this one.
Miscellaneous
The French Impressionist artist Claude Monet painted this “Woman with a Parasol” in 1875. What set the Impressionists apart from
earlier artists was their desire to depict ordinary people in casual settings and their use of visible brushstrokes of vibrant color.
One of the most interesting umbrellas one sees today is the so called “Magritte umbrella” which combines two of the Surrealist painter Renee
Magritte’s most famous art works, a black umbrella with the interior canopy filled with white clouds and blue sky.
