Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare Victorian era British Cocked Fore-and-Aft chapeau bras bicorn hat. It is finely decorated with gilt wire tassels, gilt bullion wire thread embroidery and oak leaf pattern ribbon. Each end has gilt wire tassel with red base. The interior features a wide leather sweatband in excellent condition, white silk pleated lining in overall very nice condition. There is a name written in ink on the sweat band that is difficult to read. There is also traces of a gilt maker marking in the crown. Typically these hats would feature a feather plume, this example does have the leather inner pocket for the plume but alas no plume itself. Overall condition is very good and in an approximate size US 7 (56cm).
Also included is a custom hat tin with paper travel labels stuck to it. One is legible and reads Cape Government Railways / Passenger Luggage / CAPE TOWN. The Cape Government Railways (CGR) was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways (SAR) in 1910. Clearly this hat dates before 1910 but based on the style we feel it is lat 19th century, indicating that this officer spent time in South Africa before the turn of the 20th century.
A chapeau bras is a type of hat made to be compressed and carried under the arm without injury. It translates literally as “hat arm.” Such hats were a popular style worn on dress occasions by gentlemen in the 18th century.