An Extremely Rare French Revolutionary Period Bonnet

An Extremely Rare French Revolutionary Period Bonnet Late 18th Century Of blue felt with pale mustard coloured plain woven wool lining, rising to a point and with four lines of white silk piping meeting at the top and originally attached to a red woollen tassel (missing), and with large and small tricolour cockades, the deep brim with white silk border (incomplete) and embroidered with an anchor and foliage in varying shades of off-white, green and brown floss silk threads, the left side with an oval red felt appliqué embroidered with initials 'PM' (probably those of the original owner) in silver sequins within a border of foliage stitched in silver threads (minor moth damage) Footnotes: Provenance Sold in these Rooms, Antique Arms and Armour, 23 July 2008, lot 273 Offered with an old handwritten paper label inscribed 'Cap of Liberty part of the dress in which the late J. MacGibbon Esq.r escaped France in the year 1794' This rare survival is of a type referred to as a 'Bonnet de Police'. In this case however it seems most likely that it belonged originally to a member of the revolutionary army, which was a political group distinct from the regular army, charged with enforcing the decrees of the Convention, particularly in the area of supplies. The presence of the anchor would suggest that the bonnet was intended to be worn by a marine For other examples see Michel Vovelle, 'La Revolution Française Images Et Recit 1789-1799', Livre Club Diderot, Tome III, Septembre 1791 à Juin 1793, 1986; 'Les Armées Françaises A L'Époque Revolutionnaire (1789-1804)', Les Collections Du Musée De L'Armée, 1989; and Philippe De Carbonnières, Lesuere Gouaches Révolutionnaires, Collections du musée Carnavalet, 2005 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing