Bewigged Child

During the 1750s, a Scottish peruke maker was advertising –

children’s WIGS, ready-made of various sizes and colours, suited to most complexions –

and, should further evidence be needed, the child in this silhouette is indeed wearing a pigtail wig tied with a ribbon bow. He also wears a coat with oversized buttons in an adult style and a frilled chemise.

The silhouette is unsigned but is stylistically attributed to Samuel Houghton who initially trained with John Miers during the 1780s before opening his own silhouette studio in Edinburgh around 1791. The silhouette is set in a gold navette-shaped pendant frame with a seed pearl surround. It currently resides in a later, though perfectly-fitting, leather box lined with velvet and silk from Hunt & Roskell of Old Bond Street, London.