Head protector
When children were learning to walk they wore padded crowns to protect their tender heads from harm if they fell. The caps were made of rings of horsehair covered with leather or fabric and trimmed with colored ribbons. In England, these caps were called "puddings" because of their shape. According to A. Varron, a costume historian, the term "in pudding and pinner [pinafore]" was a metaphor expressing extreme youth.
Artwork Details
- Title: Head protector
- Date: 18th century
- Culture: probably Swiss
- Medium: [no medium available]
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Dewitt Clinton Cohen, 1939
- Object Number: C.I.39.54.4
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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French
1774–92
French
early 1620s
British
ca. 1750
Swiss
late 18th century
probably Swiss
17th century–18th century
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