| Women's Headgear |
|
 |
For Women, there are several ways to wear a veil, but a veil was always worn. In the
11th C. there was a round veil with a face hole cut out of the center, with a circlet of
some sort (filet) worn over this, with a square veil tucked into the back of the circlet.
Another style is to tie a long rectangular veil somehow at the left side of the
head, draping down loosly around chin. (image from part of the portable altar of Stavelot,
1175) |
 |
In the 12th C. the Barbette and Filet were also worn. A fine example of this is from
the tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine at Fontevrault. |
 |
The Barbette is a strip of cloth around your chin and pinned at the top of your head.
Over this goes an oval or round veil, and over that goes a filet- which is a ring made of
cloth, around 2” tall that sits on the head like a hat. (image by Gauteir de
Coincy, late 13th C. On the left is a lady wearing the barbette and Filet over a snood
(hair net) and on the right is a lady in just a filet and veil. The barbette could be worn
with this style as well.) |
 |
In the 13th C. the Barbette was still worn, with a filet on top of the barbette, and
then the round veil folded in half and the folded edge pinned to the front of the filet. |
 |
veil worn over barbette (From the Rheims Missal, 1285.) |
 |
There is also a picture of a veil being draped over the filet and barbette, around the
neck and shoulders. This filet is fluted or crenelated on the top- a 13th c. style as
well, often worn without the veil at all, but just over the barbette.(From a 13th C.
Bible.) |
