{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O84945"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84945/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH9547/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH9547/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PH9547","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM5016","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GA7719","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O84945","accessionNumber":"T.168-1993","objectType":"Hat","titles":[{"title":"Ceremonial Hat For Eating Bouillabaisse","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Eileen Agar (1899-1991) was an Argentinian-born British artist who worked in a range of media. She was known for her collages and sculptures assemblages and was associated with Surrealism, a literary and artistic movement that rejected rationalism and embraced the unconscious. She wrote ‘Surrealism for me draws its inspiration from Nature...you see the shape of a tree, the way a pebble falls or is framed, and you are astounded to discover that dumb nature makes an effort to speak to you, to give you a sign, to warn you, to symbolise your innermost thoughts.’ Agar loved to beachcomb in Cornwall and on holiday in the south of France with friends including Pablo Picasso and Lee Miller. In 1936 Agar made this Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse, a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the French port city of Marseille. To create it, she used a cork bowl that she picked up in St Tropez, which she covered with various marine objects including coral, seashells, fishbone, even a spiky sea-urchin. In an earlier iteration it even had a lobster tail, a motif favoured both by Salvador Dalí and Elsa Schiaparelli. Agar wore this hat on television in 1948, walking through the streets of London and turning heads. In a time before performance art, this was a radical gesture.","physicalDescription":"Hat made of cork and trimmed with coral, sea-shells, fishbone, sea-urchin, and other found objects.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Agar, Eileen","id":"A19200"},"association":{"text":"designed and made by","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cork","id":"AAT11862"},{"text":"coral","id":"AAT11800"},{"text":"shell","id":"AAT11829"},{"text":"fish bones","id":"x40951"},{"text":"sea urchin","id":"x40952"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cork, coral, sea-shells, fishbone and sea-urchin","categories":[{"text":"Hats and headwear","id":"THES48943"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"}],"styles":[{"text":"Surrealist","id":"AAT21512"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2025PH9547","2006AM5016","2013GA7719"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES326221"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Hat","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1937","earliest":"1937-01-01","latest":"1937-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Jenny Fraser","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"330","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2016","earliest":"2016-01-01","latest":"2016-12-31"},"part":"","note":"approximately"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"490","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2016","earliest":"2016-01-01","latest":"2016-12-31"},"part":"","note":"approximately"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"230","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2016","earliest":"2016-01-01","latest":"2016-12-31"},"part":"","note":"approximately"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Registered File number  1992/1219.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Hat, cork, coral, sea-shells, fishbone and sea-urchin, 'Ceremonial Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse' by Eileen Agar, Great Britain, 1937.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"https://www.britishpathe.com/video/ceremonial-hat/query/top+hats","free":"Information taken from the above website:\r\nTitle: Ceremonial Hat 1948\r\nShort Summary: Footage of bizarre hat designed by artist Eileen Agar.\r\nDescription: C/Us of the top of a very decorative hat which has models of fish, a lobster, tiger fish, prawns and sea shells attached to it. The hat also has several large feather protruding from the top. The commentator says the hat has been designed by surrealist artist Eileen Agar. Several shots of the woman walking through busy street of London. Nice C/U of flat capped worker turning his head in surprise at the outrageous hat. More shots of woman walking down street and people giving strange looks.\r\nData:\r\nFILM ID:1263.04\r\nMEDIA URN:34188\r\nGROUP:New pictorials\r\nARCHIVE:British Pathé\r\nISSUE DATE:27/12/1948\r\nSOUND:Sound\r\nHD FORMAT:Available on request\r\nSTOCK:Black & White\r\nDURATION:00:01:03:00\r\nTIME IN/OUT:01:04:59:00 / 01:06:02:00\r\nCANISTER:NP 224"}],"production":"Reason for Production: Exhibition","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Surrealism","id":"x35568"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.168-1993"],"accessionNumberNum":"168","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1993,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-17","recordCreationDate":"2003-10-25","availableToBook":false}}