Way of the Dragon

Yet another oriental novelty hat

I now have 4 of these hats in different colours, they are all basically the same pattern, even the badge is the same symbol.

This style of hat I believe originates from the Chinese Qing Dynasty.

The best thing about these hats is they are cheap.

Sultans Hat

This hat takes on a look of Ottoman sultans headdress

I would like to be more precise with its origin but I failed to find a contemporary image that matches, in the long run, it's a theatrical hat so could be pure fantasy.

Most images of Ottoman headwear are of oversized turbans, but particular later 16th/17th C period headwear starts to include headgear that looks similar to this.

Anyway, this hat is all about the accessories, the tall forward leaning feathers which ultimately make this hat stand out.

Chinese Style

A basic novelty Chinese style merchant skull cap see in many a Hong Kong movie

Worn also by nobles, wealthy children.

Novelty hats of this style can be found all over eBay and the like for well under £10 

Nefertiti Hat

This home made hat is based on the Nefertiti hat/crown

Nefertiti was a Queen of Egypt from 1370 BC to 1330 BC

This hat was made as a lrp prop and not historically accurate in any shape or form, plus its made of cardboard and felt.

To make this hat I made a basic paper pattern by trial and error and then transferred it to some thicker card.

Lots of glue and staples later I got the basic shape.

Which I then covered in felt and gold leather look fabric.

before finally glueing on some gem cake decorations.

Below in use 

Chaperon

The Chaperone is soft fabric hat worn in medieval northern Europe, it consist of a ring fabric around the head, a crown of loose fabric and long scarf like tail called a liripipe thrown over the shoulder.

The Chaperon developed from a woollen hood, where the hole for face in the hood ended being rolled until it become the band around the head and the large open neck hole becoming the cape hanging from the top.

A touted reason for this is possibly because it was cooler to wear it that way in hot weather. 

The hood evolved and became a actual style of hat that we call the Chaperon worn by the wealthy and nobility in the 13th to 15th Centuries, until it went out of fashion around 1480

Chaperons continued to evolve as the one I'm wearing here with the ring of fabric which was once a rolled up hood becoming padded Bourrelets around the the head in some cases growing almost turban like in proportions and cornette or cape which is the loose fabric hanging from the padded ring and the liripipe becoming extremely large and flamboyant.

Most contemporary portraits show Chaperons in one colour of fabric, but the belief is that was just the simplify the artist job since extravagant fabric from silks or damask were listed as being used.

One thing I note in England particularly during this period the chaperon was also a name for some styles of hood as well as the head covering I'm wearing here