Sea Silk Hat, 1920-50

This hat, pair of gloves (lot 4), and shawl (lot 5) are made of sea silk. While silk for textiles is typically made by protein filaments produced by the mulberry silkworm, sea silk is made from protein filaments (also known as byssus) produced by the noble pen shell, or Pinna Nobilis, a mollusk found only in the Mediterranean Sea. These large mollusks can grow to over three feet in length and produce protein filaments (which can grow to a maximum length of 6 to 8 inches) that secure the shell to the sea floor. These filaments were historically harvested, spun and made into textiles or used for embroidery with a mesmerizing metallic sheen.

This collection of sea silk are family heirlooms, which the owners date to around 1920, with a story that traces the items to southern Italy, one of the most important historic sources of sea silk. In June 2021, scientific investigation was completed by Dr. Margaret Ordoñez at the Ordoñez Textile Conservation Services in Camden, TN, and by Professor Edita Vujasinović at the Textile Science Research Center in Zagreb, Croatia. Both laboratories confirmed that the analyzed fibers are pure byssus.

The hat and shawl are made of a loose knit, while the gloves are a much tighter spun thread and knit. The pair of gloves weigh 75.2 grams (left glove = 36.7g, right glove = 38.5g), the hat weighs 75.2g and the shawl weighs 250g. The total weight of sea silk in these four pieces would have required up to 400 Pinna Nobilis to produce.

Yellowed bronze sea silk knit hat.
Unlabeled

Weight of Hat: 73.8 grams

Approximate Measurements:
Sweatband circumference: 18.5"
Length: 14"