Phrygian Caps

Background:
Phrygia was an ancient country of Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. The religion of the Phrygians was an ecstatic nature worship, in which the Great Mother of the Gods, Rhea, or Cybele, and a male deity, Sabazius, played a prominent part. The orgiastic rites of this religion influenced both the Greeks and the Romans. Their power was apparently broken by the invasions of the Cimmerians in the 7th century BC. In the 6th century BC Croesus, king of Lydia, conquered all that was left of Phrygia, which passed successively under the rule of Persia, Macedonia, Pergamum, and Rome.

The Phrygian cap was adopted by freed slaves in Roman times, and thus this cap became a symbol of liberty. This headgear made its last appearance in the 18th century during the French Revolution. A conical cap with top turned forward, it is often red to signify circumcision and is the origin of the bishop's mitre and the Rosicrucians' hat. It can be found atop a swordpoint on the US Seal of the Department of the Army.

Materials:
Period materials would have included linen and wool. The first cap I made out of blue linen as it was scrap lying around from another project. The second cap I made was from black wool at my husband’s request (he wanted the cap - but only in black).

Notes:
The blue linen cap fit perfectly on the first try. It had just enough give to fit snugly and stay on my husband’s head the way he likes it. The wool cap, even though I cut it slightly smaller to allow for the give of the material, had to be taken in to fit as well as the linen. I think taking it in made it look lumpy - he disagrees. I also hand stitched the sides up so that they would stay up and not roll down.

4th Decade - Sheperd shows Roman Soldeirs the way through the hills of Epirus The link to this manuscript is dead :(	A Phrygian cap on the tomb of Geoffrey Platagenet in Le Mans Cathedral, 12th Century http://www.angevintreasures.com/aenor/menhat.htm
The Magi as represented in the mosaics from San Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna. The mosiacs date from approximately the late 6th Century. Take a peak at the pants. htp://www.regia.org/helmet.htm	Unknown artist. Eneas Silvius Piccolomini, Historia de duobus amantibus (Story of Two Lovers). France approximately 1460-70. Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment. http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/years_of_mss/frenchking_zoom.html
Blue Phrygian Cap Yes, it should be red. My fist attempt made out of scrap linen	Black Phrygian Cap Made of black wool per request. Had to be resized from original pattern due to stretch
Front view of cap on model Much nicer fit than the linen (more stretch) - pattern had to be resized	Side view of cap on model Hand stitched rolled edge up at request or wearer

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