Good Beginnings: Children’s Chinese hats

Embroidered lions, tigers, dragons, rabbits and even bats are the focus of the Textile Museum of Canada’s exhibition of Chinese children’s hats. It’s easy to see why kids adore them. Good Beginnings is a large collection of the elaborate handmade head coverings, ear muffs, collars, vests and shoes embellished for good luck and protection. For festivals and special occasions, Chinese mothers and grandmothers dressed children in garments representing powerful animals, to bestow a child with strength, frighten away evil spirits and ensure a prosperous future.

The home page of the Textile Museum of Canada, here.