I'm definitely no expert at dating these parasols, but I suspect that this one is early 1900s or, at least, that's what I'll be using it for. If it really is that early, it's in marvelous shape, though I suspect that may be due to it's not being made out of silk. I think the cover and lining are cotton, though they may be synthetic. (I'm not about to do a burn test!) If the fabric is synthetic, that places the date quite a bit later, so maybe I don't want to know. At any rate, the outer layer is navy blue and the inner layer is white. Both layers are striped and semi-transparent and have scalloped edges. The handle is a wonderfully ornate metal (brass?) and, the best part of all, it's pagoda shaped!
