Cap Types

COLOURS AND PROPORTIONS MAY DIFFER FROM PICTURES BELOW.

HAND KNITTED, HEAD SIZE ADJUSTABLE.

MONMOUTH CAP - 16th to 20th century, worn by soldiers sailors and Welshmen.

(see K. Buckland, The Monmouth Cap, 'Costume 13', Journal of the Costume Society, 1979)

PETER THE GREAT - 17th -18th century. Now in The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, were worn to disguise the Czar when he worked in the Dutch and English shipyards. Daniel Defoe quotes eyewitness description of this. Similar 17c. examples found in Copenhagen.

BRUEGHEL (c.1525-1569) - a helpful source for scenes of peasant life, customs and costume.

HOLBEIN, SPLIT BRIM - There are many variations with plain circular brims, turned up, split, slashed or decorated brims."...Flat caps as proper are to City gowns..."

KRAVIC - 18th century. Excavated from the New York waterfront. Formerly owned by Frank Kravic and illustrated in 'The Collector'sIllustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution' (see K. Buckland, Monmouth Caps in America, Journal of 'Ars Textrina' 27, 1997)

HOLBEIN, PLAIN - flat caps are depicted in early 16th century drawings and paintings by Hans Holbein, court portraitist to King Henry VIII. Later called 'Statute Caps' and favoured by apprentices. Found in many museum collections.

HOLBEIN, SCALLOPED - When brims are slashed there is sometimes evidence of applied stiffening.

HALF BRIM - "...It shows the whole face boldly, tis not made as if a man to look on't were afraid...".

CANTERBURY, (FROM SIDE) - Worn by clerics and clerks; Holbein's portraits of Sir Thomas More and his family show square black caps with curved sides.

KEMP - William Kemp's "Nine daies wonder Performed in a daunce from London to Norwich ...Written by himselfe to satisfie his friends...1600."

ROB ROY - The Scottish hero is portrayed in a bonnet trimmed with red knots as excavated from an 18c. site at Arnish Moor, Lewis.

DICED BAND, inside wiew.

THRUM - Thrums were the rejected ends of weavers' warps and obtainable free. Warm and water-repellent for sailors who provided their own clothing.

MARY ROSE BRIM - 16c. Flat caps were excavated from Henry VIII's famous warship, the 'Mary Rose', which sank in 1545. Also the Barber-Surgeon's silk velvet coif (see K. Buckland, 'Before the Mast, Life & Death Aboard the Mary Rose', 2005)