I always purchase these caps whenever I come across them, becuase they never fail to make me smile. Quite ridiculous with their bulbous projections, I always think of Elizabeth Bennet's sister Lydia, not yet 16 and a very silly young girl but nevertheless with a keen eye for fashion. That is, until recently.....
The Metropolitan Museum of Art always has similar caps in their collection and when I looked recently, one such cap has had an additional image added, showing a yound lady wearing one with evening dress! Quite extraordinary, and certainly dismissing my notion that the caps were worn casually indoors. Do go and look online.
This cap is in lovely antique condition and is so pretty, with needlerun panels dividing the protrusions and adding a decorative finish. The whole piece is net, exceptionally clean for age and with two sets of ties to adjust the size.
Talking of size, the cap measures approx. 8" down each side front centre front, and 10" around the neck width.