Goldhaube Project
Recreating a Fancy Hat
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By Cecilie Vogelgesangkin, sometimes known as Abbie Smith
Goldhaube- A “Gold Cap” still alive in German culture today for a festive traditional piece worn in secular and sacred occasions.
What is it?
The Goldhaube is a shaped cap worn on its own or with a hat. It is secured to the hair, and serves as decoration and a statement of finery. This style is characterized by metallic threads, heavy embroidery, and sometimes even jewels and pearls. The cap is often stuffed with material to create a distinctive shape, different by region. This cap is still in use today for traditional events, and is considered part of the heritage of Germany.
Where was it worn?
The caps I am focusing on are near 1530, and circling around Nuremberg, Saxony, and Ausburg. Versions of the Goldhaube seem to vary depending on the wealth and preference of the wearer. Sumptuary laws are very clear on how much gold and pearls may be worn, and this much gold would be restricted to royals and doctors. As a creative reenactor however, I wish to make the hat I enjoy. This project was a delightful challenge, but also makes a very charming and flashy hat.
Sumptuary Laws are summarized in Town and Country 1517-1550, pg. 13-22 and Drei Schnittbücher, pg. 18-31.
Centered in the picture are two dots, Nuremberg in the north and Ausburg in the south. This map is from 1798, and is a clear indication of the location of these two cities, both still popular destinations today.
Who wore it?
The portraits we see surviving with examples of Goldhaube around this time suggests the restriction of the cap to those with status and wealth. In particular, many of the Lucas Cranach portraits in this document are all of the same family, over three generations. I have included several examples outside of these ladies, and all seem to be bejeweled, high nobles, and wealthy.
My process includes making mock-ups. These will be part of my entry as a hands-on demonstration of the process used to create different shapes. My first mock up led me to add an additional crown extension, to help secure the Goldhaube to my head.
Mock ups were made using linen scraps.
The pale brown is the extension I added for my head shape. The hood was gathered with a thread, the yellow thread on the right, and will sit at the base of my neck.
As I was happy with this pattern, I transferred the cloth to paper, and cut out my Goldhaube in linen and silk. I chose a very vibrant red, as part of my own colors. Many of the portraits show us a brown-colored Goldhaube, but many documents comment on red as a strong color chosen for garments and hats during this time. As the red paint would have faded to brown, and we have word from two gentlemen of the time expressing the crimson red color as desirable in fashion, I have chosen this color to off-set the gold. My personal colors include this red.
These full size pieces are based on the mock-up. I then reduced the size, so each piece could be cut on the fold.
Next, I traced the lozenge shape. I did try a diamond, but it wasn’t the right angle. The lozenge uses a 1 to 2 unit measurement, while a diamond shape uses a 1 to 1 unit measurement. I used a pounce wheel to transfer the pattern to tissue paper.
From the tissue paper, I used chalk to transfer the pattern to the silk.
I basted the silk to the linen, for support. I will not be lining the cap, so this will reinforce the silk to hold the embroidery in place.
I then rolled the fabric onto a scroll embroidery frame.
Now to couch the gold down!
The lining shows the rows so neatly!
Then the other way!
And then, hours and hours later, we finish!
But wait! There’s more… To help jazz it up, I used a pattern I saw in one of the portraits, and added pearls to each of the crosses. It really made the design pop. So back in I went!
The pearls I bought were marked as glass reproduction beads. However, they are plastic, and set on fire very merrily. I didn’t think to do the burn test until we were halfway through, and well, swindling doesn’t mean it isn’t pretty.
Now, at this point I have spent many hours just in the decoration for the hood. I finally get to the next fun part: the front band.
This pattern is a continuous overlapping loop. The gold thread really pops, and it really bedazzled the front look.
And now for the easy part. Making it a hat!
I use ladder stitch most often for joining along seam lines by hand. It leads to almost invisible stitches, unlike whip or running stitch. Plus, any pulling evens out as the fabric shifts. I turn the edge under by hand, creasing with my nail when needed. I stitched the band to the lining, and then attached to the raw edge of the hood. I tucked everything in, and ran a running stitch to give the layers stability.
For ties, I used finger weaving to make short strands (weaving one long strand and cutting it into 4.) I then used a gather stitch to pleat the back hood, which gathered it neatly in the back.
Most portraits I see of these worn show the bulges along the sides of the ladies head, instead of over the top of the head. This is different from the Wulstaube, which creates the iconic halo around the head. I have brought materials for my display to show the different stuffing methods, and why I chose to fill the hood with some wool, which allowed for a floppy, lower hood.
This project was a huge learning experience, and I enjoyed the challenge of thinking about why I was making the choices as I went. I think I have represented the idea of the Goldhaube fairly and I even have inspiration for future projects.
Thank you for reading about my journey. I hope I have helped you spark joy in art. The more we share, the more we learn!
Full size pictures for details
Fig.4- Painting by Jakob Seisenegger of Archduchess Anna of Austria, 1545.
Fig. 6- Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Ill-Matched Couple circa 1517
Fig. 7- Lucas Cranach the Elder, Electress Sibylle of Cleve, circa 1530
Fig. 8- Flinderhaube construction, metal on linen and silk, GEORG PENCZ, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, C1540
Fig. 9-
Fig. 10
Museum Remnants
The oldest examples I was able to find of surviving whole Goldhaube are metalwork, and included strong frames. I started with these pieces as an idea of the inner structure, and worked back to the time I am recreating. For instance, there is not lining, and we can clearly see the inner structures.
This piece shows a wire frame, holding the front layers of the cap in place. The back of the hood is lined in a thick material, most likely wool, and is stuffed to create the support the hood would need to stand on its own.
Fig. 2- From the early 19th century, a goldwork cap.
This photo shows a close up of the back of this surviving piece. Heavy metal embroidery and small gemstones decorate the hood, on a tarnished background embroidered with gold thread. In the designs, we see flowers, swirls, leaves, and circles.
Fig. 3- the back of the 19th century goldwork cap
References
1. Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion 4: The cut and construction of linen shirts, smocks, neckwear, headwear, and accessories for men and women (London: Macmillan, 2008), page 12.
2. Zander-Seidel (1990) Textiler Hausrat: kleidung und haustextilien in Nürnberg vin 1500-1650
3. Portrait of a woman with red haube, embroidered with goldwork, ANNA VON MINCKWITZ, 1543.
4. Linen, linen thread, silk thread, silver-gilt thread; hand-sewn and hand-embroidered. 1575-1599. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (T.11-1948). (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O364612/coif/, accessed 10/11)
5. Salazar, Kim Brody. The New Carolingian Modelbook: Counted Embroidery Patterns from Before 1600 (Albuquerque, New Mexico: Outlaw Press, 1995), pages 122-123 (plate 59).
6. Linen sampler, embroidered with silk in back and long-armed cross stitch. 16th century. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (T.14-1931). (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70028/sampler/, accessed 10/11)
7. Flinderhaube construction, metal work, gold work (https://garbrelatedchaos.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/flinderhaube-project-documentation/)
8. Flinderhaube construction, metal on linen and silk, GEORG PENCZ, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, C1540
9. Hacke, A.M.; Carr, C.M. Investigation into the nature of metal threads in a Renaissance tapestry and the cleaning of tarnished silver by UV/Ozone (UVO) treatment. Journal of Material Sciences 38 (2003), 3308–3314
10. Needle of bronze. 14th or 15th century. National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh. (000-100-083-528-C, http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-100-083-528-C, access 04/12)
11. Cranach, Lucas. Judith with the Head of Holofernes. 1530. Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel.
12. Cranach, Lucas. Judith with the Head of Holofernes. 1530. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
13. Cranach, Lucas. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. 1515. Archbishop’s Schloß, Kroměříž.
14. Cranach, Lucas. Portrait of a Young Woman. 1535. Location currently unknown.
15. Cranach, Lucas. The Ill-Matched Couple. 1532. Nationalmuseum, Sweden.
16. British School. Unknown Girl. 1569. Tate, Britain (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/british-school-16thcentury-a-young-lady-aged-21-possibly-helena-snakenborg-later-t00400)
17. Hans Eworth. Portrait of an Unknown Lady. 1565-8. Tate, Britain (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/ eworth-portrait-of-an-unknown-lady-t03896)
18. Linen embroidered with silver-gilt thread and sewn with silk thread and linen thread. 1600-1610. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (T.28-1975). (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O364613/womens-coif/, accessed 10/11)
19. Drei Schnittbucher: Three Austrian Master Tailor Books of the 16th Century Marion McNealy
20. German Modelbucher 1524-1556: A compilation of eight German needlework and weaving pattern books Marion McNealy
21. Town and Country 1517 – 1550: Scenes of Everyday Life in Detail from Geisberg’s German Single Sheet Woodcuts Marion McNealy
22. (2016, January 1). Making and Wearing of the Linz “Goldhaube”. Unesco Cultural Heritage. https://www.unesco.at/en/culture/intangible-cultural-heritage/national-inventory/news-1/article/making-and-wearing-of-the-linz-goldhaube