fbpx
Wikipedia

French hood

January 01, 1970

The French hood is a type of woman's headgear that was popular in Western Europe in the 16th century.

A lady, probably of the Cromwell family, wearing a French hood. Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1540

The French hood is characterized by a rounded shape, contrasted with the angular "English" or gable hood. It is worn over a coif, and has a black veil attached to the back, which fully covers the hair.[1] Unlike the more conservative gable hood, it displays the front part of the hair.

History edit

The origins of the French hood can be seen in portraits of Anne of Brittany in the early 1500s. Although popularly associated with Anne Boleyn, it was probably introduced to the English court by Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who is depicted wearing one in a wedding portrait from around 1516.[2] Catherine of Aragon bought a French hood for her daughter Mary in March 1520.[3] However, English women at the time mostly wore the gable hood, and so it did not achieve much popularity in England until the 1530s and 1540s. According the Chronicle of the Grey Friars, the French hood and the jewelled gold billament became popular when Anne of Cleves came to England in 1540.[4] Most examples from this period can be seen in depictions of women who were in service to one of Henry VIII's wives, implying that it was primarily a court fashion.[5]

In September 1537, Lady Lisle, a Tudor noblewoman whose correspondence is widely documented, requested from the merchant William le Gras: "many hats, such as the ladies wear in France, for now the ladies here follow the French fashion."[6] Despite its growth in popularity, the then-Queen Jane Seymour apparently forbade her ladies from wearing the French hood. John Husee informed Lady Lisle that her daughter, an attendant to the Queen, was required to instead wear a "bonnet and frontlet of velvet", lamenting that it "became her nothing so well as the French hood."[6] As the century progressed, the French hood became smaller and more curved, and was worn further back on the head.

Habilments or billaments edit

The front of hood could be decorated with a jewelled band, in England called a "habilment or "billement", (see below).[7] In the early 1540s, Henry VIII passed a sumptuary law restricting the usage of "any Frenche hood or bonnet of velvett with any habiliment, paste, or egg [edge] of gold, pearl, or stone" to the wives of men with at least one horse.[5]

Mary I of England gave gold billaments to some of her gentlewomen to wear at her coronation in 1553.[8] The inventories of the jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots, include several pairs of jewelled "billiments" worn at the front of a hood.[9] They were described using a French word, bordure.[10] Sources written in Scots call these accessories "garnishings".[11]

Construction edit

The various elements of the French hood are as follows:

  • Coif – Made of linen, tied under the chin or possibly secured to the hair with pins, the coif was almost always white from the first quarter of the 16th century onward, with a fashion for early French hoods having red coifs existing prior to 1520.
  • Crepine – A pleated or gathered head covering made from fine linen or silk, the crepine was sometimes worn without a coif, and may have been the origin of the pleated frill seen at the edge of the coif. The crepine could also possibly have been the bag-like attachment seen at the back of early French hoods, worn without a veil.
  • Paste – Worn over the coif/crepine. More than one in a contrasting color could be worn at a time, possibly derives its name from the paste used to stiffen it, or from the term 'passé' meaning "border", derived from the effect of a border of contrasting color on the French hood.[12]
  • Veil – The "hood" portion, almost always black. Could be made from wool, or silk velvet or satin. It hung in a "straight fall" fashion and covered the back hair completely.
  • Billaments, Biliments, or Habilments[13] – Sometimes referred to as "upper" and "lower" billaments, these formed the decorative border along the upper edge of the hood and the front edge of the coif or paste.[14] Several billements are detailed in a list of jewels belonging to Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset in 1549.[15] Wardrobe accounts of velvet and satin for the making of billaments may refer to the base upon which the goldwork, jewels, and pearling was attached.[16]
  • Cornet/Bongrace/Shadow – A visor-like accessory that shaded the wearer's eyes. Later in the century, when the veil of the hood was flipped up on top of the wearer's head and pinned in place to shade the eyes, this was also apparently termed a "bongrace" or "shadow", as it protected the face from the sun.[17]

As there are no known extant French hoods in existence, the precise details of its construction remain a mystery. It is often interpreted as featuring a stiff, protruding crescent, but statues from the period indicate it laid flat on the wearer's head.[2]

Gallery edit

  •  
    Origin of the French hood: Anne of Brittany, 1500–1510
  •  
    Mary Tudor, Queen of France c. 1516
  •  
    Anne Boleyn, late 16th century copy of a lost original
  •  
    Catherine Parr wears a more curved French hood characteristic of the 1540s, c. 1545
  •  
    Lady Elizabeth Tudor, c. 1546
  •  
    Queen Mary I, "Squared" French hood, English, c. 1555

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Alison Weir, Henry VIII: The King and His Court. Ballantine Books, 2002. ISBN 0-345-43708-X.
  2. ^ a b Lubomirska, Irina. "The French Hood – What it is and what it is not" (PDF). French Renaissance Costume. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  3. ^ Maria Hayward, Dress at the Court of Henry VIII (Maney, 2007), p. 172.
  4. ^ John Gough Nichols, Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London (London: Camden Society, 1852), p. 43
  5. ^ a b Hayward, Maria (2009). Rich Apparel : Clothing and the Law in Henry VIII's England. Farnham, England: Ashgate Pub. Co. ISBN 0754640965.
  6. ^ a b "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 12 Part 2, June-December 1537". British History Online. pp. 245–262. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  7. ^ Diana Scarisbrick, Jewellery in Britain, 1066-1837 (Norwich: Michael Russell, 1994), 117–18.
  8. ^ Henry King, 'Ancient Wills, 3', Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society, 3 (Colchester, 1865), p. 187: British Library Harley 7376 ff. 29v, 32r.
  9. ^ Joseph Robertson, Inventaires (Edinburgh, 1863), p. 77.
  10. ^ Marjorie Meiss-Even, 'Autour du petit chaperon noir: Les mots de la coiffe féminine française au milieu du XVIe siècle', Colloque Vêtements & Textiles, Elaborer un vocabulaire historique du vêtement et des textiles dans le cadre d'un réseau interdisciplinaire, Dijon, 20-21 octobre 2011
  11. ^ Letters to King James the Sixth from the Queen, Prince Henry, Prince Charles etc (Edinburgh, 1835), p. lxxv-lxxvi: 'Garnising', DOST/DSL
  12. ^ M. Channing Linthicum, Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries (Oxford, 1936), p. 237.
  13. ^ Maria Hayward, Dress at the Court of Henry VIII (Maney, 2007), p. 433: C. B. Mount, 'Billament', Notes & Queries, 6th Series XII (12 September 1885), p. 205.
  14. ^ Janet Arnold, 'Sweet England's Jewels', Princely Majesty (London: V&A, 1980), p. 35: M. Channing Linthicum, Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries (Oxford, 1936), p. 234.
  15. ^ W. Gilchrist Clark, 'Unpublished Documents relating to the Arrest of William Sharington', Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, 27 (1894), pp. 168–169
  16. ^ E. Estcourt, 'Warrant of Queen Mary', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London, 3 (London, 1864), pp. 103, 105.
  17. ^ M. Channing Linthicum, Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries (Oxford, 1936), p. 235.

Further reading edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to French hood.
  • French Hood Images
  • French hood research
  • Tudor and Elizabethan Coifs

January 01, 1970
french, hood, type, woman, headgear, that, popular, western, europe, 16th, century, lady, probably, cromwell, family, wearing, hans, holbein, younger, 1540, characterized, rounded, shape, contrasted, with, angular, english, gable, hood, worn, over, coif, black. The French hood is a type of woman s headgear that was popular in Western Europe in the 16th century A lady probably of the Cromwell family wearing a French hood Hans Holbein the Younger c 1540 The French hood is characterized by a rounded shape contrasted with the angular English or gable hood It is worn over a coif and has a black veil attached to the back which fully covers the hair 1 Unlike the more conservative gable hood it displays the front part of the hair Contents 1 History 1 1 Habilments or billaments 2 Construction 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory editThe origins of the French hood can be seen in portraits of Anne of Brittany in the early 1500s Although popularly associated with Anne Boleyn it was probably introduced to the English court by Mary Tudor Queen of France who is depicted wearing one in a wedding portrait from around 1516 2 Catherine of Aragon bought a French hood for her daughter Mary in March 1520 3 However English women at the time mostly wore the gable hood and so it did not achieve much popularity in England until the 1530s and 1540s According the Chronicle of the Grey Friars the French hood and the jewelled gold billament became popular when Anne of Cleves came to England in 1540 4 Most examples from this period can be seen in depictions of women who were in service to one of Henry VIII s wives implying that it was primarily a court fashion 5 In September 1537 Lady Lisle a Tudor noblewoman whose correspondence is widely documented requested from the merchant William le Gras many hats such as the ladies wear in France for now the ladies here follow the French fashion 6 Despite its growth in popularity the then Queen Jane Seymour apparently forbade her ladies from wearing the French hood John Husee informed Lady Lisle that her daughter an attendant to the Queen was required to instead wear a bonnet and frontlet of velvet lamenting that it became her nothing so well as the French hood 6 As the century progressed the French hood became smaller and more curved and was worn further back on the head Habilments or billaments edit The front of hood could be decorated with a jewelled band in England called a habilment or billement see below 7 In the early 1540s Henry VIII passed a sumptuary law restricting the usage of any Frenche hood or bonnet of velvett with any habiliment paste or egg edge of gold pearl or stone to the wives of men with at least one horse 5 Mary I of England gave gold billaments to some of her gentlewomen to wear at her coronation in 1553 8 The inventories of the jewels of Mary Queen of Scots include several pairs of jewelled billiments worn at the front of a hood 9 They were described using a French word bordure 10 Sources written in Scots call these accessories garnishings 11 Construction editThe various elements of the French hood are as follows Coif Made of linen tied under the chin or possibly secured to the hair with pins the coif was almost always white from the first quarter of the 16th century onward with a fashion for early French hoods having red coifs existing prior to 1520 Crepine A pleated or gathered head covering made from fine linen or silk the crepine was sometimes worn without a coif and may have been the origin of the pleated frill seen at the edge of the coif The crepine could also possibly have been the bag like attachment seen at the back of early French hoods worn without a veil Paste Worn over the coif crepine More than one in a contrasting color could be worn at a time possibly derives its name from the paste used to stiffen it or from the term passe meaning border derived from the effect of a border of contrasting color on the French hood 12 Veil The hood portion almost always black Could be made from wool or silk velvet or satin It hung in a straight fall fashion and covered the back hair completely Billaments Biliments or Habilments 13 Sometimes referred to as upper and lower billaments these formed the decorative border along the upper edge of the hood and the front edge of the coif or paste 14 Several billements are detailed in a list of jewels belonging to Anne Seymour Duchess of Somerset in 1549 15 Wardrobe accounts of velvet and satin for the making of billaments may refer to the base upon which the goldwork jewels and pearling was attached 16 Cornet Bongrace Shadow A visor like accessory that shaded the wearer s eyes Later in the century when the veil of the hood was flipped up on top of the wearer s head and pinned in place to shade the eyes this was also apparently termed a bongrace or shadow as it protected the face from the sun 17 As there are no known extant French hoods in existence the precise details of its construction remain a mystery It is often interpreted as featuring a stiff protruding crescent but statues from the period indicate it laid flat on the wearer s head 2 Gallery edit nbsp Origin of the French hood Anne of Brittany 1500 1510 nbsp Mary Tudor Queen of France c 1516 nbsp Anne Boleyn late 16th century copy of a lost original nbsp Catherine Parr wears a more curved French hood characteristic of the 1540s c 1545 nbsp Lady Elizabeth Tudor c 1546 nbsp Queen Mary I Squared French hood English c 1555See also edit1500 1550 in fashion 1550 1600 in fashion KokoshnikReferences edit Alison Weir Henry VIII The King and His Court Ballantine Books 2002 ISBN 0 345 43708 X a b Lubomirska Irina The French Hood What it is and what it is not PDF French Renaissance Costume Retrieved 25 May 2017 Maria Hayward Dress at the Court of Henry VIII Maney 2007 p 172 John Gough Nichols Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London London Camden Society 1852 p 43 a b Hayward Maria 2009 Rich Apparel Clothing and the Law in Henry VIII s England Farnham England Ashgate Pub Co ISBN 0754640965 a b Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII Volume 12 Part 2 June December 1537 British History Online pp 245 262 Retrieved 27 May 2017 Diana Scarisbrick Jewellery in Britain 1066 1837 Norwich Michael Russell 1994 117 18 Henry King Ancient Wills 3 Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society 3 Colchester 1865 p 187 British Library Harley 7376 ff 29v 32r Joseph Robertson Inventaires Edinburgh 1863 p 77 Marjorie Meiss Even Autour du petit chaperon noir Les mots de la coiffe feminine francaise au milieu du XVIe siecle Colloque Vetements amp Textiles Elaborer un vocabulaire historique du vetement et des textiles dans le cadre d un reseau interdisciplinaire Dijon 20 21 octobre 2011 Letters to King James the Sixth from the Queen Prince Henry Prince Charles etc Edinburgh 1835 p lxxv lxxvi Garnising DOST DSL M Channing Linthicum Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries Oxford 1936 p 237 Maria Hayward Dress at the Court of Henry VIII Maney 2007 p 433 C B Mount Billament Notes amp Queries 6th Series XII 12 September 1885 p 205 Janet Arnold Sweet England s Jewels Princely Majesty London V amp A 1980 p 35 M Channing Linthicum Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries Oxford 1936 p 234 W Gilchrist Clark Unpublished Documents relating to the Arrest of William Sharington Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine 27 1894 pp 168 169 E Estcourt Warrant of Queen Mary Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London 3 London 1864 pp 103 105 M Channing Linthicum Costume in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries Oxford 1936 p 235 Further reading editArnold Janet Queen Elizabeth s Wardrobe Unlock d W S Maney and Son Ltd 2001 ISBN 0 901286 20 6 ISBN 978 0 901286 20 8 Ashelford Jane The Art of Dress Clothing and Society 1500 1914 Abrams 1996 ISBN 0 8109 6317 5 Ashelford Jane The Visual History of Costume The Sixteenth Century 1983 edition ISBN 0 89676 076 6 1994 reprint ISBN 0 7134 6828 9 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to French hood French Hood Images French hood research Tudor and Elizabethan Coifs Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French hood amp oldid 1215141964, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.