Marquis simply means that there's a second tilting mechanism at the top of the parasol that allows the parasol to be made to go vertical instead of horizontal. They've been around since around 1800, but right before the beginning of the Civil War, an American manufacturer starting making marquis parasols for the market. These were (as far as I can tell) the very first American made parasols for sale. They were usually very cheap (some selling for as little as $1) and as they were affordable, they were very, very common. Just by the sheer number of them that are still around, one can tell they were plentiful back then. American made marquis are black. Black, black, black. Black sticks, black handles, black finials, black silk cover, black silk lining, black trim. Even the ribs were black (and by 1860, they were metal. No baleen or rattan ribs for these parasols!) AFTER the war, you'll see some white and pink linings and I have heard tale of exactly ONE parasol dating to 1867 whose cover was a black and white stripe. For war purposes, they are black. All black. Trim could include no trim, a single straight ruffle, two straight ruffles, one chevron ruffle, two chevron ruffles, and one straight and one chevron ruffle. Never fringe. Edges of cover, lining, and ruffles was usually scalloped. My 1862/1863 parasol didn't have big scallops, just little ones. Normally, you have 3/4"-1" scallops that are made of tiny scallops. This was done on a pinking machine similar to my modern one that I used for the purple chantilly and 1st marquis parasol.
For dating purposes, you'll find the American marquis with both a ball on the finial and handle are the earliest. 1860-1861. In later 1860-1862, you'll find ball handles but long finials. In 1863, you'll start to see carving on the handles. Handles became more and more elaborate towards the end of the war and afterward. You'll see many shapes and some very detailed carving on these parasols.
Okay. So now that the little marquis lesson is over, let's see some parasols.
This first one is right around 1860. She's itty bitty, or, at least her handle is. Her cover is completely untrimmed, but she's still pretty. Here are the original photos of her:
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| One side of chain stitch |
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| Other side of chain stitch |
And uncovered:
And recovered:
Measurements:
Length unfolded: 21"
Length folded: 11.5"
Handle length: 9.5"
Rib length: 8.5"
Canopy diameter: 16"
Finial length: .5"
The second parasol has a long and carved finial and a pretty little handle with no carving. I'm dating her to late 1862/early 1863. Definitely more decorative than earlier parasols, but no carving on her handle. She has two chevron ruffles adorning her. Original photos:
And uncovered:
And recovered:
Measurements:
Length unfolded: 28"
Length folded: 16"
Handle length: 12"
Rib length: 11"
Canopy diameter: 19"
Finial length: 2.25"
The next one is going to be left all original. It's an 1865/1866 marquis. Look at that beautiful carving on that handle!
This marquis looks very much a late to post war marquis. Carving on the handle is detailed and the finial has a bamboo pattern to it, not as detailed as the handle but still pretty. The ribs are metal and both the cover and lining are silk taffeta. Instead of scalloped edges, both silks have been pinked. However, the v's on the pinks are much larger than typical modern pinking sheers can do. They measure 1/4" horizontally and the same vertically.
Measurements:
Length unfolded: 26"
Length folded: 14"
Handle length: 12"
Rib length: 8.75"
Canopy diameter: (estimated, parasol was not opened all the way) 15"
Finial length: 2.5"
Enjoy!
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