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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:
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Front of hat |
| Hat and collar |
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Close-up of a motif |
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More hat detail |
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| Hat from the top |
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