Two Chinese mandarin official's summer hats, guanmao

The first is made of cream gauze surmounted by rock crystal bead on a filigrée floral hat finial, fastening twisted red tassels above the brocade trim along the rim. The interior is lined with red silk. The second is of a slip-decorated cream ground with a bronze bead on a bronze finial, with red tassels above the brocade trim to the rim. Both are fitted in a blue silk two-tiered hat box.

Catalogue notes: there were two kinds of official's hats, guanmao, worn in the Qing court, in the summer a conical hat made from a bamboo or rattan frame was worn (like the current lot), and in the winter a black velvet cap was worn.