Hat 1845 - 1855

John N. Genin's "Hat", residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, immediately strikes you with its material and construction. The hat is made from paper. At first glance, the hat might seem like a mere imitation of the bourgeois fashion. But this work subverts established norms. Its very essence lies in its structure and the unexpected use of paper. The choice of material challenges our understanding of value and durability. Paper, typically associated with ephemerality and disposability, takes on the form of a long-lasting object. This shift questions the semiotic system of signs associated with fashion and social status. The hat invites us to reconsider the relationship between form and function, permanence and transience. It exists not just as an object but as a commentary on the transient nature of value itself. It challenges fixed meanings through material and form.