Hat
Headdresses, or kokoshniks had the greatest abundance of ornamentation of any type of garment in Russia. They were most often made of damask woven with gilt metallic threads or velvet with gold embroidery. The wealthy peasant class often decorated their kokoshniks with pearls and gemstones. Their decorative elements were representative of the regions in which they were made. Those from the North were embellished with the river pearls that were plentiful in that area while goose down and woolen embroideries were more popular in the South. The headdresses worn by maidens exposed their hair, considered a prize possession in Russian culture. They were often accompanied by a venchik, a forehead covering made of fabric or metal. Married women were required to cover their hair entirely lest they be considered immodest.
Artwork Details
- Title: Hat
- Date: late 18th century
- Culture: Russian
- Medium: silk, metal, glass
- Dimensions: 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. (11.4 x 21.6 cm)
- Classification: Accessory-Headwear-Womenswear
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Brooklyn Museum Collection
- Object Number: 2009.300.2254
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Unknown
probably shortly before 1704
Imperial Armory, Tula (south of Moscow), Russia
ca. 1780–85
Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg
1755–60
Russian
1797
Russian
second half 18th century
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