18th Century Muffs

Of the use of muffs by men, The Annals of Philadelphia notes: “Gentlemen in the olden time used to carry mufftees in winter. It was in effect a little woolen muff of various colours, just big enough to admit both hands, and long enough to screen the wrists which were then more exposed than now; for then they wore short sleeves to their coats purposely to display their fine linen and plaited shirt sleeves with their gold buttons and sometimes laced ruffles.”

• Kyoto AC5402 86-26-14, “white silk pongee with polychrome silk embroidery, pailette decoration”
• Met 1984.101, feathers and fur, Britain, third quarter of the 18th century
• MFA 43.1822, France, c. 1774-1793; “White silk covered by white silk ribbon and cord lattice studded with blue, salmon, purple chenille flowers, fly fringe and flowers at sides. White silk lining. Filled with wool batting.”
• Met 1978.280.1, embroidered silk, Britain, c. 1780
• MFA 43.1820, England, c. 1785-1800; “White silk satin with central mezzotint portrait medallion of young woman with lamb in pastoral setting, seed pearl border. Wreath of pink and white crépe flowers and green leaves, green and russet silk embroidery and purple crépe bows. White silk lining. Filled with batting.”
• MFA 43.1823, France; “Green-yellow silk satin with appliquéd white satin central mezzotint portrait medallion of young woman. Wreath embroidered with silver yarns and spangles and red foil leaves. White silk lining. Filled with batting and paper.”
• MFA 43.1824, England, c. 1785-1800; “Ivory silk satin muff, central medallion printed with mezzotint portrait of a woman; embroidered with metallic thread, beads, and spangles”
• MFA 95.1426; “Blue satin ground with a powder of white dots. The muff is lined with pink silk and faced with pink satin. Used in Venice.”

Depictions of people wearing or carrying muffs

• A Taste in High Life, after Hogarth, 1746
• Kitty Fisher by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1757-1759
• The Female Bruisers by John Collet, 1768
• Portrait of a woman, seated, in a red dress with a black muff by Marianne Loir
• Statute Hall for hiring servants, 1770
• January and May, 1771
• A decoy for the old as well as for the young, 1773
• Lady Caroline Scott as “Winter” by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1776
• Miss Juniper Fox, 1777
• Miss Palmer by Sir Joshua Reynolds
• Return from the grand tour, 1778
• Illustrations from Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français:
  MFA 44.1328/MFA 44.1327 (1778)
  MFA 44.1362 (1778)
  MFA 44.1386 (1779)
  MFA 44.1394 (1779)
  MFA 44.1521 (1781)
  MFA 44.1547 (1782)
  MFA 44.1566 (1784)
• Sir Charles Turner of Kirkleatham, Yorkshire
• Modern Defence, or The Siege of Fort Phyllis, 1786
• Madame Molée-Reymond by Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, 1786
• The Muff, 1787
• The fox muff, 1787
• Such things are : Telles choses sont : that such things are we must allow, but such things never were till now, 1787
• Winter: bless my heart how cold it is, 1788
• Lady in the countryside wearing a fur trimmed stole and carrying a muff, 1792
• Evening Dress with swan-down muff, N. Heideloff, 1795
• Pupils of Nature, 1798