Cream silk parasol owned by members of the Ellis family

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.

Cream silk parasol with a decorative ivory handle. The handle contains a monogrammed "WW" towards the bottom with a cluster of rosettes directly above it. The cylindrical ivory shaft consists of four pieces. The main handle, which is carved at the base, screws into a small piece that is hinged to a longer piece that extends up to just above the top spring, where a cylindrical brass 1 ¾” runner slides down over the hinge and locks into an open position. There is another hinge that connects to the fourth uppermost piece of the shaft that extends to the inside cap. When the small parasol runner is locked in place it covers the hinge, locking it in an extended position. Above the top cap is a decorative ivory finial that screws onto the end of the shaft and holds the structure of the parasol onto the shaft.

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