Headdresses

From the walls of palaces and tombs we learn that A yrian and Egyptian coiffures were of a most elaborate character. Greek females confined the hair with a band or net-work often richly ornamented with gold. Sometimes it was inclosed in a sort of bag of various textile materials. In mourning it was cut short. Black was the commonest color and blonde the favorite. Until the Empire the Roman women dre ed the hair very simply, but varied and intricate modes were adopted under August us, Claudius, and Hadrian. Gold-dust was sprinkled to heighten its effect, and in distant provinces the light-haired barbarians were shorn to supply Rome and Byzantium with tre es of the fashionable tint. Norman ladies wore them long curiously braided, reaching to the ground, entwined with ribbons or encased in silken sheaths. The Crusades brought in Oriental modes with toques and turbans, and the hair was confined with fillets, veils, and gold nets during the 13th century. Then for a time it was disposed over the ears and round the head with extreme elegance and intricacy of plait and braid, and this was followed by extraordinary muffling which concealed even brow, cheeks and chin. From 1380 to 1410 fashion adopted the escoffion, a huge pad or cushion ornamented with lace and gold beads or pearls, and the monstrous HENNIN (q.v.), worn by Isabel of Bavaria at her marriage 1385, lasted in spite of priestly censure and mob ridicule till 1470. These horns were succeeded by the curious diamond headdre of York and Lancaster with long side lappets and the architectural character of hair-structure finally disappeared. Chandler's Encyclopedia IMG:content-0521.png:[ocr errors][merged small] Queen Elizabeth frizzed and most elaborately decorated her hair with jewels, ribbons, and feathers, and left an incredible number of varied wigs behind her, but it was reserved for the 18th century to far outstrip all former exce es. The hair was built up on framework to vast heights and ornamented with flowers, feathers, ribbons, laces, trinkets, chains, jewels, and even models of animals and ships. These "heads" were opened once a fortnight to remove vermin and renew the stiffening, and satire and abuse were fruitle till the rage had run its course ab. 1790, after which the taste for everything cla ic restored comparative simplicity.