An Antique Parasol Acquisition: Part Two

In the previous post, I shared pictures of the first of two antique parasols I recently purchased on ebay with plans to recover them at some point.  This is the second parasol, quite different from the other.  Based on extant examples I've sorted through in several museum collections, I think this one dates to about 1880-1905.  The dealer listed it as circa 1900, so that's pretty consistent with what I've found in my own research.

The unique feature of this parasol is the handle, which is twisted wood (I think).  It is painted black and the paint has chipped in a couple of places, but nothing too significant and I'll probably choose to leave this original finish in place when I recover it.

The top half of the canopy is black silk; the bottom half is a black net that is overlaid with very wide black lace that hangs over the sides by about 7 inches.  Both the silk and the lace have rotted considerably.  When I purchased it based on the ebay listing pictures, I hoped I might be able to save the lace, but alas, it arrived in much worse condition than it appeared.  Disappointing, to be sure, but it isn't a huge deal.

The long tip is surrounded by a tiny little lace ruffle gathered around it.

The interior details of this piece are similar to those of the first parasol.  A small circular disc of fabric (it's hard to tell what it is because it's disintegrating as well) covers the joints of the mechanism.

We still haven't decided yet what kind of or what color fabric we'd like to use to recover these two pieces.  Any ideas?!  :-)

An Antique Parasol Acquisition: Part One

Ashley and I have been shopping around for antique parasols for years, but until now we haven't found anything appropriate to either our limited budgets or the historically specific styles we needed.  Then, out of the blue, about a month ago, I won two antique parasols on ebay in the space of a couple of days.  It never rains, but it pours!  I plan to re-cover both of them at some point in the (probably pretty distant) future, but before I start picking them apart, I wanted to document the details so that I can recreate their new covers as closely as possible.

The first parasol has a straight and smooth wooden handle and a metal mechanism.  Its canopy is linen, I think (the dealer listed it as cotton, but it looks and feels more like linen to me), with a tiny single-row eyelet detail 4" up from the edge.  As you can see from the photos, the canopy is in pretty bad condition; one panel has completely split and the others are very brittle, with lots of tiny holes and significant discoloration.  A tassel once hung from the handle, but all that remains of it now is the cording.

My guess, based on the shape, the length and style of the handle and the canopy, is that this parasol dates to about 1900-1920ish.  If anyone with more parasol knowledge than I can date this more specifically based on these pictures, I'd love to hear your input! :-)

The long tip of the parasol is embellished with a "rosette" sort of ruffle detail.

Inside, a scalloped disc protects the tips of the fabric panels from the mechanism. 

Small round discs folded in half are sewn over the joints in an effort to prevent the fabric catching.

I've never re-covered a parasol before, so I plan to document the adventure thoroughly!  Stay tuned for that!