In ancient China and Japan, the umbrella, which comes from the Latin ‘umbra’, meaning shade, offered protection against the sun’s powerful rays. The size and splendour varied according to rank. The most important people were shaded by the most ornate umbrellas. These were often huge instruments, carried by slaves who held them above the dignitaries of ancient Egypt and Assyria.
For instance, a monument from 2,400 BC depicts the Assyrian King Sargon of Akkad being protected from the sun by a parasol held aloft by a servant. Although they were mainly used by important men in the ancient world, ladies of position often carried them for protection against the sun in Rome and Greece.
By the Middle Ages, the umbrella was also used as a ceremonial emblem, held aloft over the popes and bishops. It first appeared in Europe around the 16th or 17th century, and was popular in Italy as the ombrella, meaning ‘little shadow’, before becoming an article of fashion throughout Europe. By the 18th century, most fashionable women carried one around and France led the way.
Parasol
Early umbrellas were mainly used for sun protection. Known as parasols, they were rigid instruments made of dainty materials such as silk and lace. This remained an important fashion accessory throughout the 19th century and was often designed to complement the current style of dress. No lady was complete without a pretty shade to keep the sun from browning the face.
Parapluie
Eventually, the parapluie, as the French called them, came into fashion for protection against the rain, as their name suggests. They could now open and close and were made of stronger material like leather or oiled canvas and were supported by whalebone ribs.
Jonas Hanway
In 1756, Jonas Hanway, a British traveller to Russia and Persia, tried to introduce this umbrella into a gentleman’s wardrobe. He had little success as they were generally considered effeminate. By the 19th century, however, it was fashionable for men to carry the large, long-handled rolled and secured umbrella, similar to those used today. The first metal ribs made from steel tubes were patented by Henry Holland of Birmingham, England, in 1840.
Construction of the Umbrella
The construction of the umbrella has changed little in thousands of years. The Chinese patterned, oiled paper of the original instrument has given way to alpaca, rayon and nylon. Grooved steel ribs have now replaced the bamboo, rattan and oak frames of old. The fold-up, telescopic umbrella is even more practical and can be carried discreetly and easily. But the modern day umbrella is surprisingly very similar to its ancestor from the ancient world. And who would be without one on rainy day?
