Wigs were a staple of fashionable men's wear in 17th and 18th century Europe. Reportedly made fashionable by Louis XIV, wigs allowed men to flaunt elaborate and lengthy hair styles to complement their clothing -- from ostentatious to somber. The expensive head coverings needed to be combed and powdered to remain fresh and thus needed a dedicated storage technique. There is some debate as to the true use of Delft wig stands such as the present lot; their small size would indicate a degree of impracticality given the heft of wigs of the day, and visual evidence from paintings of interior scenes may indicate that they served a decorative purpose only, sometimes appearing in unserviceable and difficult to reach locations. For a similar wig stand see R. Aronson (ed.), Dutch Delftware, The Van der Worm Collection, Amsterdam, 2010, pp. 116-117.