Skin Deep #3

Up until World War I a fair skin was among the most important attributes of feminine beauty. This was a status symbol that only members of the upper class could afford as they did not have to work outdoors, unlike the majority of the population. Further, the cult of white skin was strongly associated with the dividing line between white and non-white ethnicities. This sun hat is made of hemp lace and dates from ca. 1910, as does the ceramic figure in rococo style "At her toilet".