The caul is a small soft cap worn by women in late 16th century England. It is essentially a circle of fabric, often decorated, which is gathered or pleated to a band and worn on the back of the head with the hair tucked inside. Sometimes a caul is defined as a lined hairnet (Ashelford, page 151). As shown in the picture of Mary (?) Boleyn at Birr Castle (Ashelford, page 19), cauls were occasionally embroidered to match a partlet. A caul could be wore alone or with another hat, as seen in Portrait of a Young Lady from 1569 at the Tate Britain in London.
This caul is made of white linen and embroidered in double-running stitch in black silk.
The embroidery pattern of violets and gillyflowers was adapted by Countess Ianthe d'Averoigne from Jane Bostocke's sampler, which is dated 1598. It is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The pattern is the third row down and second from the right.
Ashelford, Jane. Dress in the Age of Elizabeth I. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1988.
Leed, Drea. "16th Century Cauls, Hairnets and Snoods"
Salazar, Kim Brody [Ianthe d'Averoigne, pseud.]. The New Carolingian Modelbook: Counted Embroidery Patterns from Before 1600. Outlaw Press, 1995.
Copyright 2001 Abigail Weiner