Hat

Unknown

late 18th century · silk, metal, glass · Costume Institute

Headdresses, or kokoshniks had the greatest abundance of ornamentation of any type of garment in Russia. They were most often made of damask woven with gilt metallic threads or velvet with gold embroidery. The wealthy peasant class often decorated their kokoshniks with pearls and gemstones. Their decorative elements were representative of the regions in which they were made. Those from the North were embellished with the river pearls that were plentiful in that area while goose down and woolen embroideries were more popular in the South. The headdresses worn by maidens exposed their hair, considered a prize possession in Russian culture. They were often accompanied by a venchik, a forehead covering made of fabric or metal. Married women were required to cover their hair entirely lest they be considered immodest.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 18th century

Medium

silk, metal, glass

Culture

Russian

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Brooklyn Museum Collection