Very feminine and elegant, this fancy black parasol is in good, working condition. Its metal spoke frame indicates that it dates to the late 1800s.
It comes from the huge Maine estate auction in July, 2023 of historian and antiques collector Amos Kimball of Newburgh, Maine. Mr. Kimball owned the well-known Jabez Knowlton General Store there, which was built in 1839 and kept in a state of fully-stocked preservation since it closed its doors in 1910. The store and its (by now) all-antique contents were in this grand auction.
This parasol is dome shaped and made of black silk with black silk tulle gathered and ruffled over it. The tulle has a ribbon edge to accent its ruffles.
A round, wooden shaft pierces the top and curls into a bent wood handle at the lower end. Note: There's a chip in the handle, as shown.
A fancy, black silk tassel is loosely attached to the center.
There are a few small holes and some fading to the silk on the underside, but that's not very noticeable thanks to the black tulle is generously gathered atop it. The tulle also has some holes/tears, as shown in my photos. Again, these are not very noticeable due to the fullness of the gathering.
One photo shows some hand stitching that re-attached the tulle layer to the underlayer.
This parasol is lovely and can be used as is.
Handle: 30"
Diameter Point-to-Point: approximately 27"
Full Length, closed: 35"
Weighs 9 oz.