Unusual Artifacts: A Dutch Wig Stand, 1680-90

Wig Stand
Tin-Glazed Earthenware with Painted Decoration.
Delft
1680-1690
The Victoria and Albert Museum

Wigs were an important part of daily life for reasons ranging from fashion to hygiene. Wigs fell in and out of fashion for both men and women for centuries. In the Seventeenth Century, wearing a wig was quite commonplace. Not only did this achieve a consistent look, but also covered up myriad health and hygiene issues.


In order to retain a wigs shape when it wasn’t being worn, it was placed on a wig stand. These were often quite ornate. For example, this Delft-made porcelain wig stand is attractive in its own right. Decorated with Asian-inspired traditional blue and white painting, and resting on a wooden plinth, any lady or gentleman would have been proud to have this object on his or her dressing table.