The bands of color on this soft and luscious hand-loomed silk shawl are inspired by the ribbons from the milliner's table in a painting by Edgar Degas in the museum's collection. The rich pattern is a contemporary interpretation of Degas embracing the modern world through his art.

In Degas' striking painting, two milliners sit at a dramatically angled table, their bodies partially obscured by three hat stands that punctuate their cramped workspace. Colorful ribbons in startling saturated shades of yellow, orange, pink, and green litter the table in front of the women. Edgar Degas had a penchant for reworking, rethinking, and refining his paintings. X-ray examination of this painting reveals that the milliner on the left originally wore a hat, had ruffled cuffs, and draped a scarf around her neck details indicating that Degas initially conceived of her as a customer.