Blue and White Hat Stand

Accented with quatrefoil cutouts to provide airflow, this 19th-century porcelain hat stand was once used by a Qing-dynasty gentleman to display his cap while it wasn't being worn. The six-sided hat stand is painted with fanciful arrangements of stacked display stands laden with vases, censers, and treasured objects. Behind each vignette stands an ornate lamp hanger, strung with delicate lanterns and tassels. The lavishly decorated hat stand represents the opulence of Qing-dynasty court style, where rank and status was expressed through fashion and its accouterments.

This hat stand has a hairline crack along one side.