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Coif
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Coif
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1600-1625 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Linen, embroidered with linen thread and edged with bobbin lace
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by Miss C. M. Slee
- Museum number:
T.57-1947
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56e, case 9
Like a man's nightcap, a woman's coif was informal headwear. It would have been worn by itself indoors, or underneath a hat in public. In Western Europe it was customary for both men and women to cover their heads outdoors until the 1960s. A hat was an essential part of respectable dress and, from a health perspective, head coverings were considered necessary to protect against chills and disease.
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