Cowl (Headgear)
ca. AD400-700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A hood made of woven wool with embroidered decoration. Most of it remains and has been sewn to a modern linen for support. The hoof is formed from a rectangular piece of undyed wool (twill; s-spun), folded over and sewn along one edge (sewn with an undyed wool thread and then sewn over with purple wool as decoration). The final shape is retangular with a sharp corner at the crown. The head fits under the sewn edge. It is decorated with woollen embroidery. The colours are a pink and a purple/red (where the two colours are twinned together). The edges of the cowl are bordered with a band of decoration. In the centre of the band the purple wool forms a wavy line and red thread makes a single dot between the waves. Either side of the wave is one pink line and then a purple line. The lines are made of two/three pieces of thread sewn at intervals to the main fabric. The front of the cowl is decorated with purple wool, hemmed as a series of loops along the edge. One either side of the head is a decoration icon, sewn approximately where the ears would be. It is wheel-like in form (a wheel within a wheel). At the centre is a red dot surrounded by a thick ring of purple which has a series of spokes around its edge. Two thin pink lines encircle this and another purple circle is around the pink lines and it too has spokes around its outside. A small portion of the hem at the bottom of the cowl remains. The piece has holes and some staining.
This hood compares to one attached to a child's tunic in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Radiocarbon dated to AD430-620 (95% probability). This hood has fringes in green and red/brown along the perimeter of the hood and lower edges. The tunic is similar in construction to an adult tunic but with a hood which is sewn into the back of the neck opening. Hoods were typical on a child's tunic from Roman to Byzantine times and were often made of a separately woven rectangular piece of cloth. They were often adorned with roundels and fringes along the top. The decoration of a hood would match the tunic cuffs and sides.
This hood compares to one attached to a child's tunic in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Radiocarbon dated to AD430-620 (95% probability). This hood has fringes in green and red/brown along the perimeter of the hood and lower edges. The tunic is similar in construction to an adult tunic but with a hood which is sewn into the back of the neck opening. Hoods were typical on a child's tunic from Roman to Byzantine times and were often made of a separately woven rectangular piece of cloth. They were often adorned with roundels and fringes along the top. The decoration of a hood would match the tunic cuffs and sides.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Woven and embroidered wool |
| Brief description | A hood made of woven wool with embroidered decoration. Egyptian, ca. AD400-700. |
| Physical description | A hood made of woven wool with embroidered decoration. Most of it remains and has been sewn to a modern linen for support. The hoof is formed from a rectangular piece of undyed wool (twill; s-spun), folded over and sewn along one edge (sewn with an undyed wool thread and then sewn over with purple wool as decoration). The final shape is retangular with a sharp corner at the crown. The head fits under the sewn edge. It is decorated with woollen embroidery. The colours are a pink and a purple/red (where the two colours are twinned together). The edges of the cowl are bordered with a band of decoration. In the centre of the band the purple wool forms a wavy line and red thread makes a single dot between the waves. Either side of the wave is one pink line and then a purple line. The lines are made of two/three pieces of thread sewn at intervals to the main fabric. The front of the cowl is decorated with purple wool, hemmed as a series of loops along the edge. One either side of the head is a decoration icon, sewn approximately where the ears would be. It is wheel-like in form (a wheel within a wheel). At the centre is a red dot surrounded by a thick ring of purple which has a series of spokes around its edge. Two thin pink lines encircle this and another purple circle is around the pink lines and it too has spokes around its outside. A small portion of the hem at the bottom of the cowl remains. The piece has holes and some staining. This hood compares to one attached to a child's tunic in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Radiocarbon dated to AD430-620 (95% probability). This hood has fringes in green and red/brown along the perimeter of the hood and lower edges. The tunic is similar in construction to an adult tunic but with a hood which is sewn into the back of the neck opening. Hoods were typical on a child's tunic from Roman to Byzantine times and were often made of a separately woven rectangular piece of cloth. They were often adorned with roundels and fringes along the top. The decoration of a hood would match the tunic cuffs and sides. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by the British School of Archaeology in Egypt |
| Object history | In 1926 the British School of Archaeology in Egypt wrote to the V&A, regarding a collection of Egyptian textiles that they wished to present to various museums. The V&A was offered first selection before they were distributed more widely, and they selected the pieces now T.142-1926 to T.253-1926. |
| Summary | A hood made of woven wool with embroidered decoration. Most of it remains and has been sewn to a modern linen for support. The hoof is formed from a rectangular piece of undyed wool (twill; s-spun), folded over and sewn along one edge (sewn with an undyed wool thread and then sewn over with purple wool as decoration). The final shape is retangular with a sharp corner at the crown. The head fits under the sewn edge. It is decorated with woollen embroidery. The colours are a pink and a purple/red (where the two colours are twinned together). The edges of the cowl are bordered with a band of decoration. In the centre of the band the purple wool forms a wavy line and red thread makes a single dot between the waves. Either side of the wave is one pink line and then a purple line. The lines are made of two/three pieces of thread sewn at intervals to the main fabric. The front of the cowl is decorated with purple wool, hemmed as a series of loops along the edge. One either side of the head is a decoration icon, sewn approximately where the ears would be. It is wheel-like in form (a wheel within a wheel). At the centre is a red dot surrounded by a thick ring of purple which has a series of spokes around its edge. Two thin pink lines encircle this and another purple circle is around the pink lines and it too has spokes around its outside. A small portion of the hem at the bottom of the cowl remains. The piece has holes and some staining. This hood compares to one attached to a child's tunic in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Radiocarbon dated to AD430-620 (95% probability). This hood has fringes in green and red/brown along the perimeter of the hood and lower edges. The tunic is similar in construction to an adult tunic but with a hood which is sewn into the back of the neck opening. Hoods were typical on a child's tunic from Roman to Byzantine times and were often made of a separately woven rectangular piece of cloth. They were often adorned with roundels and fringes along the top. The decoration of a hood would match the tunic cuffs and sides. |
| Bibliographic reference | R. Smalley, "Late Antique and Medieval Headwear from Egypt in the Victoria and Albert Museum", British Museum Studies in ANcient Egypt and Sudan 21 (2014): 81-101 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.251-1926 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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