Black pillbox hat with round interlocking panels

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A black pillbox hat with abstracted round interlocking panels. The hat is made of a buckram understructure while the exterior is covered in a black silk velvet. The hat is made of three separate pieces of fabric for the top of the crown, sides of the crown, and the brim which are all machine stitched together. The brim folds upwards the proper left side of the hat and continues to the back of the hat. On the proper right side, the two ends of the brim curve upwards and interlock creating a structured abstract decorative element. The edges of the hat are bound with black petersham ribbon. The inside of the hat is lined with a silk synthetic taffeta. There is a black petersham ribbon sweatband sewn at the interior. Three stitches of white cotton thread form a star on the sweatband which marks the center front of the hat.

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