24 January 2010

David Hume's New Hat

Scottish philosopher, economist, historian David Hume (1711-1776); major figure of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment. Now he just sits around with a cone on his head. Taken in Edinburgh by flickr user Rankeelaw.


I love the hat David is wearing above. This 1754 portraiture by Allan Ramsay ("the younger") shows a hat that, I think, is more Barbadian than Oriental. At this time in Barbadian history, the plantation economony was controlled by Britain. Barbados turned out to be an expensive colony during Revolutionary times, and sugar prices fluctuated, but exoticism was high fashion.

Other exotic fashions include headwraps, dresses adorned in peacock, parrot, and flamingo feathers, tortoise-shell jewelery, Turquerie, ivory, even Chinoiserie embroidery...

...much like the early 18th century English bodice below (how beautiful).


(Update: try as I might, I cannot find any information regarding the hat Hume is wearing in his portraiture. When I do, you know where such information will be found).

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