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1890-1920
The M. C. Lilley Co. (ca. 1865-1951)
USA: Ohio, Columbus
a: silk, wool, feather, leather, bullion; b: leather, cotton, metal
overall a: 7"h x 8"w x 17"d
Gift of William S. Quincy, Jr.
SC80.15.1a-b
a: Masonic Knights Templar chapeau-de-bras [hat]. Black with a white plume across the top. Gold bullion fringe is visible on one end. Gold bullion tape is applied in strips across the center on both sides. One side has a black rosette with gold bullion and red velvet Christian cross in the center. The hat is lined with gold silk and has a brown leather sweatband around the inside edge. The lining is stamped in silver with the maker's logo and name. A black label is applied to the lining. It is embroidered in gold, "W.S. Quincy." b: Brown leather case with hinged lid. Shaped like a chapeau-de-bras. The case has a silver-tone clasp on front and a silver-tone hook on each side. The case is lined with a brown fabric with white diamonds made out of dots. The top of the case has two brown leather straps, each with a buckle to hold the hat in place. A white paper label is pasted to the bottom of the case. It is stamped in black, "William S. Quincy / RD 2 / Brandon, Vermont."
The Knights Templar based its ritual and regalia on the legends of crusading knights. The group favored titles and uniforms drawn from military traditions. Knights Templar wore this kind of headgear as part of uniforms worn to parades, celebrations, and at formal meetings. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, regalia companies manufactured uniforms for the thousands of Knights active in the United States.