http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O352117/hat-headgear/
Hat
Place of origin:
Egypt (made)
Date:
ca. AD1100-1400 (made)
Materials and Techniques:
Woven silk and linen, wool, fibre, paper, ink, feathers, quilted
Museum number:
1085-1900
A hat made of woven silk on paper with a lining of linen. Egyptian, ca. AD1000-1400. From a tomb. Padded with layers of wool, fibre, feathers and paper covered in Arabic inscriptions. The hat has two main parts. The top is in a cone shape. It is made by sewing/quilting a circular shape into a series of tall, thin triangles (14?). The outer layer is of silk (ikat style dye?) in washes of pink, blue and green lines. Most of this layer is missing. Next is a layer of thick paper (sometimes two layers) perhaps with some inscriptions in dark ink on the inner side. Next is a thick layer of fibre, perhaps linen. Then another layer of paper. This layer has a great deal of writing. The inner layer is of undyed linen; approx. 17x17 tpc. At the top / point of the cone are three holes in a teardrop shape, spaced around the top. Each hole is sewn around with light blue, linen? thread.
The cone is attached to a head band (approx 110mm high, incomplete). It has a number of layers, including wool and feathers. It does not appear to have a lining of linen although this could just be missing. This part of the hat is stuck together and so the very inner layer cannot be seen. Only half of the band remains and little of the outer most layers. It would have been (from the outer layer inwards) silk on paper; wool; fibre; then paper with a great deal of writing. The silk is layered in the opposite direction to that on the cone. There is a line of running stitch 34mm down into the band at one point. The bottom edge / rim of the head band is missing. A very small part remains that has fibre, very small black feathers and red silk threads, all mixed together.
Broken off is a small part which is probably from the rim. It's out layer is of blue/green, fine silk, plain woven. It is stitched to an inner layer of linen and there may be a thin fibrous layer between them. The outside has decorations in the form of green silk thread embroidered across the main fabric in diagonal lines, with lines of running stitch on either side. A small piece of linen is attached to one end on the outside and a daub of glue like substance is on the inside at the other end.
V & A MUSEUM
