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About>Galleries>Projects Gallery 2>A"Russian Coat, Collar and Hat"

Circa Late 16th Century

This is a recreation of a Boyar coat, collar and hat from the late 16th Century. The hat and applique motifs show a distinctive Kyrghyz influence.

The outer fabric is a funky ribbed taffeta, which would probably have been called a 'grosgrain' cloth in period. The warp is black and the weft is a scarlet red, which, in period was called 'changeable' cloth. The fur (fake) is plain black, washed to get rid of the shine. The lining is a simple black 'grosgrain' cloth known modernly as Bengaline. The collar and hat are both interlined for extra stiffening.

The patterns were developed from several different sources and according to modern methods. The actual historical pattern was probably a hybrid between rectangular construction and tailored patterns

The embellishment shows both a strong Byzantine influence in the materials used and the Kyrghyz flavor in shape, design, and placement. The long mulitple ropes of pearls hanging from the hat are particularly influenced by Kyrghyz designs.

The motifs were first cut out of black velvet and sewn to the garments prior to lining. All the pearling and couching of the gold cord, which was made by hand as needed, was done during this time as well. For a description of how this cording was made, click here.

Once the motifs were finished, the lining was laid in and the fur sewn to all layers and tacked to the inside in the manner of a facing.

The collar, because of its stiffness, had some problems laying flat so weights were sewn in both in front and in back. A tassel was also added to the back for additional heft.

Once the hat motifs were done, the hat lined and the fur tacked in place, the ropes of pears and pearl treatment on the front were then added.

A closer look at the details of these garments:


Front of hat
Hat and collar  

Close-up of a motif
  More hat detail
Hat from the top
site map | guided tour | contactOther sections: 16th Century | 18th Century
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