doppa
Skull Cap
ca. 1980 (made)
ca. 1980 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Uygurs wear embroidered skull caps (doppa) as part of their everyday clothing. Doppa serve an important function in Islamic religious practice, and also express their cultural identity. The crown of this cap is made from green velvet, embroidered with coloured sequins, gold threads and clear glass beads stitched in yellow threads, which give a golden hue to the beads. On the top of the cap are four large badam patterns, each in the shape of a teardrop with curved end. Badam is the Persian word for almond, a plant native to Central Asia and Xinjiang. This motif is regularly used in the decoration of local carpets and textiles. Uygur men generally wear the so-called ‘almond’ pattern caps (badam doppa) in white embroidery on black velvet.
Based on a vendor’s note attached to the inside, we know that this is a woman's hat. The donor bought the cap, together with two others (FE.15-1983, FE.17-1983), in the capital city Urumqi in 1980, shortly after China reopened its borders as part of the Open Door Policy.
Based on a vendor’s note attached to the inside, we know that this is a woman's hat. The donor bought the cap, together with two others (FE.15-1983, FE.17-1983), in the capital city Urumqi in 1980, shortly after China reopened its borders as part of the Open Door Policy.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | doppa (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silk velvet; embroidery in glass beads, sequins and metallic threads, with satin lining and stiffened |
| Brief description | Skull cap for a Uygur woman (doppa), green silk velvet, embroidered with glass beads, sequins and metallic threads, lined with yellow satin, acquired from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, ca. 1980. |
| Physical description | Skull cap for a Uygur woma (doppa) of green velvet with black velvet trimed edge, embroidered with clear glass beads, coloured sequins, and couched gold thread. It is lined with yellow satin and has a stiffened interlining. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | (Handwritten note in red ink on paper stuck on the lining)
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Verity Wilson |
| Object history | Purchased by the donor in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, October 1980. Registered File number 1981/172. |
| Historical context | Similar examples in the American Museum of Natural History, New York. See: A collection of the Xinjiang Uygur folk cap designs ed. Zhang Hengde et al. (Urumqi, 1983) |
| Summary | The Uygurs wear embroidered skull caps (doppa) as part of their everyday clothing. Doppa serve an important function in Islamic religious practice, and also express their cultural identity. The crown of this cap is made from green velvet, embroidered with coloured sequins, gold threads and clear glass beads stitched in yellow threads, which give a golden hue to the beads. On the top of the cap are four large badam patterns, each in the shape of a teardrop with curved end. Badam is the Persian word for almond, a plant native to Central Asia and Xinjiang. This motif is regularly used in the decoration of local carpets and textiles. Uygur men generally wear the so-called ‘almond’ pattern caps (badam doppa) in white embroidery on black velvet. Based on a vendor’s note attached to the inside, we know that this is a woman's hat. The donor bought the cap, together with two others (FE.15-1983, FE.17-1983), in the capital city Urumqi in 1980, shortly after China reopened its borders as part of the Open Door Policy. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.16-1983 |
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| Record created | February 12, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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