Mourning Veil
Mourning Veil
Mourning Veil


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Clothing and Accessories
Clothing Accessories
Women's Clothing
Headwear ➔ Mourning Veil

Identifier:
140115
Description:
In Victorian society, it was customary to follow a strict etiquette for mourning royalty, political leaders and of course for relatives. This veil is a characteristic example of a key accessory that was required as part of the ritual. The production of mourning clothing was a lucrative business and items like this veil were commonly purchased.

The fashion industry had perfected the art of black synthetic dying and so almost any item of clothing or accessories from dresses to headwear or footwear could be purchased in black for mourning. For poorer families, this could be quite a financial burden as it could involve having to purchase a whole new wardrobe. The later stage of the custom, called "half-mourning", would require integrating the colors grey, white and purple into one's wardrobe, indicating the ending phase.
Date:
circa 1850 – 1960
Materials:
Chiffon
Dimensions:
126 in" h 13 in" w
Current Location Status:
In Storage
Collection Tier:
Tier 2
Source:
Gift Of David Kadwell
Related Entity:
David Kadwell (donor)
Related Objects:
Related Place:
Grand Rapids