Artifact: Cap of silk embroidery
Materials: Silk
Dimensions: OD: 13"; OH: 11"
Date: 1720-1750
Origin: Europe
Collection: Image Courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
License: All rights reserved
Ledger Entry: Silk Cap
Department: Outerwear
Customer: Daniel Talbot
Ledger Page: 124
Imported From: Most of the clothing accessories sold in the Ramsay store would have been imported from England.
Product Description
A cap is a form of headwear worn by both men and women that closely fits to the crown of the head. Unlike felted hats, a cap was typically made of softer material and came in various forms with various uses. A night cap provided warmth and eased sleep. A mobcap was a type of women's headwear that covered all of her hair and could be worn alone indoors or under a bonnet or hat outdoors.
Citation: “Cap” In New Oxford American Dictionary. Oxford :Oxford University Press, 2011; Colonial Williamsburg. “A Colonial Lady's Clothing: A Glossary of Terms.” Accessed February 26, 2017. https://www.history.org/history/clothing/women/wglossary.cfm
Historical Price: 4 shillings, 2 pence; Modern USD: $46.7
Product Variations
The databases record six purchases of caps. Of these, five are silk and one is velvet. Their prices range from four shillings two pence for a silk cap to sixteen shillings six pence for a velvet cap.
