From status indicator to everyday accessory: the history of the umbrella

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

It would seem that there is nothing interesting in such an ordinary accessory as an umbrella. But several centuries ago it was an indicator of status, made of expensive materials and even inherited. About the history of the umbrella - further in the review.

Umbrellas have been known since ancient Egypt. Light skin was considered a sign of noble birth, so only members of the ruling dynasty could hide their faces under umbrellas. In Buddhism, the umbrella also played an important role and was considered one of the eight symbols of happiness. The higher the rank of the monk, the more tiers were visible on his umbrella. The title of King of Burma sounded like "King of White Elephants and twenty-four umbrellas."

In China, and then in Japan, umbrellas were allowed not only to the nobility, but also to ordinary people. But their accessory was made not of expensive fabric, but of paper or canvas. Geisha with an umbrella is one of the most recognizable images of Japanese culture.

Umbrellas came to Europe at the suggestion of the ancient Greeks. But in the Middle Ages, this accessory was banned by the Catholic Church as demonic, and therefore forgotten about it for several centuries. The same priests brought the umbrella back into use. In the 16th century, "parasols" appeared at the court of King Henry IV of France. They had bone handles, whalebone needles. Umbrellas were covered with lace or silk.

In Russia, umbrellas gained popularity in the era of Peter I. The word "umbrella" itself comes from the Dutch "zonnedek", which meant "sun canopy over the deck." This concept, like everything else that related to navigation, was introduced by Peter I. Then the zonnedek lost its vowel in the middle of the word, and the second part of the "dec" was replaced by the consonant diminutive suffix -tik. So an umbrella turned out, and then a derivative from it - an umbrella.

In 1768, the Englishman Jonas Hanway presented an umbrella that was already similar to the modern one. But, at first, the inventor had to endure a lot of ridicule, since the British did not want to accept such a means of protection from the rain. When Henway walked down the street, the cabmen specially threw mud at him. The umbrella was a clear proof of not too high status. If a person walked down the street under an umbrella, it meant that he did not have a crew. But with each century, the values changed, and the status of the umbrella increased. In the 19th century, one could see umbrellas with handles in which they hid mouthpieces, pipes, and flasks. Some even allowed themselves to walk with lightning-rod umbrellas, on the tip of which a rod was attached, connected to a long metal wire.

In the 20th century, double-folded umbrellas, semi-automatic and automatic machines appeared. The materials have changed, but the principle of work has remained the same as several centuries ago. Modern creative people are very fond of using umbrellas not for their intended purpose, but as installations.