This handknitted undyed wool hat from the early 20th century is known as a tam o'shanter or tam/tammy. It was named after the 1790 poem Tam O'Shanter written by Robert Burns, but its form is much older and based upon that of the Scottish bonnet of the 15th century onwards.

The original Scottish bonnets were knitted over a wooden disc to create their distinctive silhouette, and then felted to mat together the wool yarns into a solid fabric. By 1599, at least five Bonnet-maker's Guilds had been founded around Scotland. Similar flat bonnets were also worn throughout Northern Europe at this time, but the Scottish bonnet's distinguishing feature is its 'toorie,' the woollen ball or pompon on the crown. When Burns's poetry became widely popular in the early 19th century, the name 'tam o'shanter' took hold, and has endured as the most popular name for this style of hat, especially after women and children began wearing versions of the tam from the early 20th century onwards. Although made as a functional winter or sports hat, this example is in such pristine condition that it was probably never worn.