Forehead Cloth
1575-1625 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A forehead cloth was part of women's headwear in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was usually worn with a coif and inventories from the period record matching coifs and forehead clothes being made and bought together. However, it is still unclear just how the forehead cloth was worn, as there are very few portraits illustrating both.
This forehead cloth is richly embroidered with precious metal threads and probably once had a matching coif. The repeating pattern of flowers and fruits is typical of the naturalistic embroidery designs of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
This forehead cloth is richly embroidered with precious metal threads and probably once had a matching coif. The repeating pattern of flowers and fruits is typical of the naturalistic embroidery designs of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Embroidered linen with coloured silks, silver and silver-gilt threads, spangles, hand-sewn and hand-embroidered |
| Brief description | Woman's forehead cloth of embroidered linen with coloured silks and metal threads, England, 1575-1625 |
| Physical description | Woman's forehead cloth of embroidered linen with coloured silks in shades of red, pink, blue and green in detached buttonhole stitch and couching, and silver and silver-gilt threads in plaited braid stitch and couching. The ground is powdered with silver-gilt spangles. The pattern consists of scrolling stems bearing foxglove, pansy, a rose, borage, grapes, strawberries, berries and acorns. The triangular shape is outlined with stem stitch in red silk. The raw edge has been turned once and tacked with linen thread. Unlined. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Frank Ward |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A forehead cloth was part of women's headwear in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was usually worn with a coif and inventories from the period record matching coifs and forehead clothes being made and bought together. However, it is still unclear just how the forehead cloth was worn, as there are very few portraits illustrating both. This forehead cloth is richly embroidered with precious metal threads and probably once had a matching coif. The repeating pattern of flowers and fruits is typical of the naturalistic embroidery designs of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.243-1960 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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