A caul is a historical headress worn by women that covers tied-up hair. A fancy caul could be made of

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

, fine

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

brocade Brocade () is a class of richly decorative shuttle (weaving), shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in coloured silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian langua ...

, although a simple caul would commonly be made of white

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

. The caul could be covered by a crespine or a hairnet to secure it from falling off. During the second half of the thirteenth century, network caps, more properly called "cauls", came into fashion for ladies' wear. These headdresses were shaped like bags, made of gold, silver or silk network. At first they fitted fairly close to the head, the edge, band or rim being placed high up on the forehead, to show some hair on the temples and around the nape; they enclosed the head and hair, and were secured by a circlet or

fillet Fillet may refer to: *Annulet (architecture), part of a column capital, also called a fillet *Fillet (aircraft), a fairing smoothing the airflow at a joint between two components *Fillet (clothing), a headband *Fillet (heraldry), diminutive of the ...

. Jewels were often set at intervals in the band, also at the intersections of the cross-bars.

Tudor cauls

At the coronation of Mary I in 1553, she came to

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

wearing a gold circlet with a jewelled caul or "kall" made of

tinsel Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was o ...

fabric. Some chronicle accounts mention the weight of the circlet and caul, and that Mary had sometimes to support it with her hand. These comments may imply

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practis ...

criticism of this unprecedented female coronation. A Scottish diplomat

James Melville of Halhill Sir James Melville (1535–1617) was a Scottish diplomat and memoir writer, and father of the poet Elizabeth Melville. Life Melville was the third son of Sir John Melville, laird of Raith, in the county of Fife, who was executed for treason ...

wrote that in 1564

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

's golden hair was best shown when she wore an Italian-style "kell" and bonnet. An inventory of the jewels of

includes a section of "attires" or head-dresses with "cawles" and "cawles of hair" set with pearls and rubies. These were intended to augment the queen's own hair. Elizabeth's gentlewomen made some of her cauls. Dorothy Abington lined cauls with silk sarsenet fabric, and Bridget Chaworth embroidered a caul of black network with trueloves of pearls for Elizabeth in 1580. Cauls and other items were made for Elizabeth by the professionals Margaret Schetz ''alias'' Barney and the silkman Roger Montague. He made "fine white knotted cawles wrought with chain stitch" in 1587. Schetz supplied "cawles of heare lyned with taphata", and in 1601 the silkwoman Dorothy Speckard supplied "Two heare Cawles curiouslie made in workes of haire".Janet Arnold, ''Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd'' (Maney, 1988), pp. 204–205, 226.

References

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External links

A Crowning Glory: Hairstyles and Headwear In Venice

{{Hats Headgear