Coifs ()

Ethnographic Museum in Wrocław is proud of ists collection of about 320 coifs. The exhibits witch come mostly from 19th century account for valuable comparative source for historic and also cultural-social studies. Sumptuous coifs of Lower Silesia – made of superb fabric and lavishly decorated – would manifest the owner’s wealth. Each married woman used to posses at least one gala coif and more affluent ladies boasted on having several such caps. Treadted as a goog capital deposit coifs were carefully stored and preserved intact. Being this the rason many of tchem survived in an exceptionally good condition when compared with other kind of clothing.

Coif patterns could be divided into three groups – triangle-like coifs witch consist of the crown of the cap and the rim as well as three piece coifs made of a centre piece and two side panels. The headgear may have been tailored of one-coloured silk, velvet, wool, patterned with brocade cotton linen of flax linenand tulle. Usually they were stiffened with cardboard or with linen stiffener, rimmed with so called ‘beard’ i.e. with strongly starched black lace arranged into fine pleats and stiffened with metal wire; others used to be trimmed with fur and used as winter attire.

Lavishly decorated coifs are sewn with gold and silver thread, decorated with sequins, gems and beads. Combination of various elements would make unique textural embroidery with decorative plant-like motifs. Coifs were additionally trimmed with laces, tapes and ribbons – usually fixed at the back of the head forming a bow. All the coifs were hand-made, most of tchem sewn by professional coif makers.
[Hanna Gola]

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