Framed Antique Chinese Child Tiger-Head Hat

This lovely textile art was from Central-Northern China circa 1900s, known as "Tiger-head" hat, It was a lavishly made cotton with silk hat in form of tiger for baby boys with a widely-held cultural symbolism. Extensive techniques such as embroidery, trapunto, patching, quilting, plaques were employed to create this three dimensional wearable art with lively characters.
The origin of "Tiger-head" hat can be traced back to Tang dynasty based on actual archeological finding. The tradition evidently lasted through the Song and Ming dynasties despite of lack of abundant literature and archeological records. Toward the end of Qing dynasty, it became very popular across the society, perhaps due to the instability and the wish to increase the survival rate of male infants. As tiger, the king of all beasts, is one of the most beloved animal totems in Chinese folklore for its vitality and prowess. The tiger spirit is audacious and evil-smashing. Therefore the hat was believed to bestow such essence and power to the child and guarantee him a strong growth physically and mentally.
The current hat, based on the construction and workmanship, was from central-northern part of China. It was lovely presented in a plexiglass shadow box with a giltwood frame and a red background.