Elizabethan Adornments

Through my research in to Elizabethan hair styles and techniques, Ive found that these hairstyles can often be adorned with a number of different objects. i thought it would be a good idea to outline some of these and start to think about how I could begin to adorn my own work. 

A Caul

Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots c.1560 Oil on Canvas by Unknown Artist
(http://tinyurl.com/nga825q)

A caul was a piece of headwear not unlike a small bag which was pinned to the back of the hair and was often accompanied by other headwear like hats or coifs. 

In the image to the left In this image you can see Mary Queen of Scots, who was Elizabeth I's cousin and reigned at the same time, wears an embroidered caul at the back of the head surrounding a bun, also accompanied by a hat. 



Coif

Image of a Coif made 1550-1600, V&A Museum
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90001/babys-coif-unknown/

A coif is a head covering worn throughout the 16th century and well in to the 17th as well. Quite simply the coif is a fairly close fitting bonnet-like headpiece that is usually made of a light fabric like linen or silk if you were of nobility. It was typically worn for warmth and protection from the elements but for the higher classes it was a sign of respectability for woman and to promote wealth and stays through decoration.

The image to the right features an example of a coif from the elizabethan period. I honestly think they're quite displeasing to the eye and find that they cover too much of the hair. 

French Hood

Portrait of a Young Elizabeth c.1546-7
Attributed to William Scrots
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/elizface.htm

Anne Boleyn is thought to have originally brought the French hood to England. Its believed that during her stay at the french court she adopted this style and coninued to wear upon her return to england. The early french hood a closely fitting band that often covered the ears with a gradual expansion towards the back. 
French hoods were also sometimes as 'Billiments'. they were often heavily jewelled and decorated by the upper classes. Very often these billiments were matched to the gowns worn by their owners. 

In this portrait of a young princess Elizabeth, she wears a French Hood crafted from a beautifully rich red colour which matched her gown. This headpiece is also adorned with pearls and what looks like gold trim or ribbon. The use of red, gold and pearls gives an overwhelming lllusion of wealth and splendour.

Sources:
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/headwear/snood.html
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/headwear/coif.html
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/headwear/frenchhood.html

From this research in to Elizabethan headwear I tried to incorporate some similar adornments in to my own hair work. 

In this experiment I've tried to weave a piece of ribbon in to my french plaits to give the hair some elizabethan inspired adornments. The reason I think this reflects elizabethan styles is how it weaves in and out of the hair to create a criss cross shape, not unlike that seen in the netting of Elizabethan cauls.
I also tried to reference elizabethan era through my use of colour. Typically during this era those who wore yellow were of a higher social standing as the dye was often produced from saffron and imported from Europe and was therefore very expensive to produce. (Source:http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/color-yellow.htm)

Although I haven't seen many examples of ribbon used in Elizabethan hairstyles, it has been referenced elsewhere. 

Portrait of Jeanne D'Albret
Painted by François Clouet, 1570
 Musée Condé de Chantillyhttp://www.henri-iv.culture.fr/fr/uc/01_00_04
?version=accessible

Take for instance this portrait of Jeanne D'Albret, formerly queen regnant of Navarre. In this portrait it can be seen that orange ribbons have been intertwined within the braiding at the back of the head alongside other adornments. Although the sitter in this painting originates from France, her hairstyle still belongs to the same time period (The Renaissance) and as I've come to learn from previous research, Elizabethan hairstyles were often influenced by french styles.