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 birds, roses, strawberries and caterpillars 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 birds, roses, strawberries and caterpillars 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 silk, silver and silver-gilt threads, hand-embroidered |
| Brief description | Woman's forehead cloth of embroidered linen with coloured silk, silver and silver-gilt threads, England, 1575-1625 |
| Physical description | Forehead cloth of embroidered linen with coloured silks, silver and silver-gilt threads in detached buttonhole stitch, chain stitch, plaited braid stitch and couching. The pattern consists of rows of strawberries and caterpillars repeating with peacocks and roses with rosehips. The embroidery is unfinished at the edges, and traces of original pen and ink drawing remain along with the triangular outline. The forehead cloth is unlined and the hemming of the edges are modern. The thread count is approximately 65 x 80 threads per inch. |
| 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 birds, roses, strawberries and caterpillars is typical of the naturalistic embroidery designs of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.242-1960 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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