Hatbox and panettone, a bond of history and style!

Hat boxes are objects from the past, used in the eighteenth century and up to the last century to store hats, both at home and during travel. They could have been made of different materials: leather (the most valuable), but also fiber and cardboard and generally had a circular shape. In addition to the practical function they became, over time, a ploy to exhibit taste and refinement.

Their spread was greatest during the nineteenth century, in particular in association with the Grand Tours, trips made by the European aristocracy to discover the art and history of the main cities.

All this set of meanings, uses, social and cultural associations were also used at the beginning of the twentieth century in the food sector, specifically in pastry. Right here, in some Italian companies, panettone began to be packaged in these unusual packaging.

Their diffusion is associated with the change in the shape of the well-known dessert: from low and bread-like, to high and very leavened. It is therefore evident that their functions have been diversified from the beginning: to allow the storage of the new product (higher than the previous one), to allow its transport and, last but not least, to transfer to food the positive connotations of the object. Indeed, this last aspect was crucial to the success of the hatbox as a container for panettone. It was in fact used in many companies of the last century to package their products and Christmas cakes.

Especially in some cities, this association was successful and became the symbol of the wealthy, productive and demanding bourgeoisie; Milan is an example of this. The features of the hatbox: luxury, refinement, aesthetic attention to the container and, at the same time, to the content, became very important strengths that were transferred with the purchase of the panettone to those who bought it. Exhibiting them was therefore a widespread practice, as evidenced by many photos from the 1950s, a period in which this curious packaging had a formidable success. In fact, they became, in effect, symbols to be shown on the street and in one’s home, synonymous with economic availability and social distinction.

With the extension of trade also to foreign countries, the image of the panettone in the hatbox became the emblem of craftsmanship, of a product in which taste was perfectly combined with the refinement of the containers, of the materials used for their realization, of particular shapes and colors, obtained thanks to the collaboration with famous figures of art and design of the twentieth century.

Today the hat boxes are having a real revival, a sign of constant attention to the past. Our hat boxes are an example of this: particular, refined and always different, to give importance to their content and to those who receive them. Inspired by those of the last century, they are not just simple containers in which to keep our delicacies, but objects to preserve and collect and, why not, elements to furnish your rooms with taste and elegance, bringing our style and products to the heart. of your home and family.