Mah-jong & Pai Gow

This antique Chinese child tiger hat dates from the Qing Dynasty. It is all hand stitched with embroidered . This unusual shaped hand crafted hat is made of colorful silk with embroidered creating the face of a tiger on the front. The tiger is one of the most predominant symbols on hats and shoes. Its ferocious powers make it an especially popular protective image. The tiger is used to frighten off evil spirits. Originally hats for children were designed primarily for physical protection. Auspicious symbols were used to decorate the hats and shoes for children in an attempt to ward off high mortality rates. There are red silk brocade fabric side ear muff flaps and back drape for warmth on this precious winter hat and tie straps for securing under the chin. The hat is fully lined in red linen inside circumference. It is in excellent wearable condition with only some faint age spotting. This is truly a beautiful piece of antique Chinese textile art and would make for a wonderful display piece.