Two skullcaps used for defense of the head in the 16th century. The caps fit closely to the head. The cap on the left appears to be cloth lined with an iron frame. The cap on the right consists only of the iron frame. Both caps are from the 16th century.

Iron Skullcaps from the 16th Century

Two skullcaps used for defense of the head in the 16th century. The caps fit closely to the head. The…

"The Petasus differed from the pileus or simple skull-cap in having a wide brim: the etymology of the word, expressed the distinctive shape of these hats. It was preferred to the skull-cap as a protection from the sun." — Smith, 1873

Petasus

"The Petasus differed from the pileus or simple skull-cap in having a wide brim: the etymology of the…

"Any piece of felt; more especially, a skull-cap of felt, a hat. These seems no reason to doubt that felting is a more ancient invention than weaving, not that both of these arts came into Europe from Asia. From the Greeks, who were acquainted with this article as early as the age of Homer, the use of felt passed together with its name to the Romans. Its principal use was to make coverings of the head for the male sex, and the most common one was a simple skull-cap." — Smith, 1873

Pileus

"Any piece of felt; more especially, a skull-cap of felt, a hat. These seems no reason to doubt that…

"A plant of the genus <i>Scutellaria</i>: so called from the helmet-like appendage to the upper lip of the calyx, which closes the mouth of the calyx after the fall of the corolla." &mdash;Whitney, 1889
<p>In the illustration, <i>a</i> represents the calyx. This illustration is of <i>Scutellaria serrata</i>, an herbaceous perennial mint.

Skullcap - Upper Part of the Flowering Stem

"A plant of the genus Scutellaria: so called from the helmet-like appendage to the upper lip of the…