The Bonnet and the Beret in Medieval and German Renaissance Art Margit Stadtlober Universität Graz, Österreich

Headscarf and Veiling Glimpses from Sumer to Islam edited by Roswitha Del Fabbro, Frederick Mario Fales, Hannes D. Galter The Bonnet and the Beret in Medieval and German Renaissance Art Margit Stadtlober Universität Graz, Österreich Abstract This paper presents an art-historic contribution, examining the bonnet and the beret as characteristic forms of female and male headdresses and their manifold variations and oriental origins. Both types of head coverings are shaped by sociocultural attitudes and evolved in form. Embedded within the wider context of clothing they also, in turn, influence social norms and attitude. Examining their history and genesis also reveals and raises gender-specific perspectives and questions. The depiction and representation of the bonnet and beret during two defining periods in the visual arts, incorporating role-play and creativity, present a considerable knowledge transfer through media. First instances of gender-specific dress codes can be traced back to the Bible and therefore Paul’s rules for head covering for women in 1 Cor 11,2-16 is intensively debated. The following chapter will trace and illustrate the history of female and male head coverings on the example of various works of art. The strict rules outlined in 1 Corinthian 11 prescribing appropriate head coverings in ceremonial settings, which had a significant and lasting impact, have in time been transformed through the creative freedom afforded by the mundanity of fashion. Keywords Beret. Bonnet. Female Head Covering. Hennin. Veil. Summary 1 Introduction. – 2 From Veil to Bonnet. – 3 The Beret and Dürer’s Caps. 1 Introduction In March 2020, the University of Graz hosted the interdisciplinary Festival Al- pe-Adria dell’Archeologia Pubblica senza Confini on the topic of “Headscarves and veils from the ancient Near East to modern Islam”. This paper presents Antichistica 30 | Studi orientali 12 e-ISSN 2610-9336 | ISSN 2610-881X ISBN [ebook] 978-88-6969-521-6 | ISBN [print] 978-88-6969-522-3 Edizioni Ca’Foscari Peer review | Open access 135 Submitted 2021-07-01 | Accepted 2021-08-03 | Published 2021-08-30 © 2021 | bc Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution alone DOI 10.30687/978-88-6969-521-6/009 Margit Stadtlober The Bonnet and the Beret in Medieval and German Renaissance Art an art-historic contribution, examining the bonnet1 and the beret as characteristic forms of female and male headdresses and their manifold variations and oriental origins. Both types of head coverings are shaped by sociocultural attitudes and evolved in form. Embed- ded within the wider context of clothing they also, in turn, influence social norms and attitudes. The correlation between people and clothing becomes particularly evident in relation to headwear. What is significant here is that the headwear reflects back on the physical as well as the mental stance of the wearer.2 Examining their history and genesis also reveals and raises gender- specific perspectives and questions. The depiction and representation of the bonnet and beret during two defining periods in the visual arts, incorporating role-play and creativity, present a considerable knowledge transfer through media that deserves closer investigation. Images or visual-artistic mediation have a strong impact on how the depicted content is received. The hermeneutics of images3 recon- structs the information flow of this century-old medium. Methods of iconography and iconology further examine the content of images and their genesis. Additionally, text/image studies provide a comparison between systems of textual and pictorial communication. Art is an important medium that carries information across temporal bound- aries, it is characterised by specific communicative mechanisms and operates within specific sociological contexts. It is important to note that communication through words is distinctly different from communication through images. Susanne K. Langer concludes in her the- ory of art Feeling and Form that texts are discursive, whereas images are presentative.4 It is precisely this presentative component that allows images to effectively communicate across language barriers. This also exposes worldviews and gender perceptions. The figures depicted in images, along with the clothes they wear, often reflect dom- inant notions of ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’, social roles and ex- pectations, and culture-specific stereotypes at a given point in time. 1 Bonnet is a generic term in English for female headdress (particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance) and is used here in its broadest meaning, similar to and as a translation of the German term Haube, which also denotes various forms of head coverings. 2 Loschek 1993, 108. Unless otherwise stated, all translations are by the Author. 3 Bätschmann 2003, 199-228. 4 “Formulation, representation, abstraction: these are the characteristic functions of symbols. As such they have been studied, however, mainly in connection with discursive symbols” (Langer 1973, 376-7). Antichistica 30 | 12 136 Headscarf and Veiling, 135-156 Margit Stadtlober The Bonnet and the Beret in Medieval and German Renaissance Art First instances of gender-specific dress codes can be traced back to the Bible. Initially, there is no marked difference between male and female items of clothing as attributed to Adam and Eve. Accord- ing to the Bible, God made them loincloths from fur (Gen 3,21), with- out any gender-relevant distinctions. Only 1 Corinthian 11 refers to differentiations between male and female clothing with regard to Christian ceremonies:5 Head Coverings (2) Now I commend you because you remember me in every- thing and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. (3) But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (4) Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head, (5) but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. (6) For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. (7) For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. (8) For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. (9) Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (10) That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (11) Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independ- ent of man nor man of woman; (12) for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. (13) Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? (14) Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, (15) but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. (16) If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. (1 Cor 11,2-16) This explanation by Paul in 1 Cor 11,2-16 is intensively debated in Bi- ble Studies and extensively explored within the field of theology.6 It is not for art history to comment on this; but it can reflect on it. The text establishes that women, same as men, can perform ceremonial acts in the Christian community. However, the requirement for women to cover their heads as opposed to men, who must keep their heads uncovered, explicitly marks them in their gendered difference. The 5 Dettinger 2017, 152-6; Gielen 1999; 2001; 2002; Gielen, Merklein 2005, 25-72. Ja- ntsch 2015a; 2015b; Marshall 2017, 203-13; Schottroff 2013, 280-4; Zamfir 2013, 342-4. 6 Jantsch 2015a. Antichistica 30 | 12 137 Headscarf and Veiling, 135-156 Margit Stadtlober The Bonnet and the Beret in Medieval and German Renaissance Art rule is justified with the argument that women are subordinate to men as evidenced by the woman having been created after man (Gen 2,21 f.). She is denied direct connection to God through Christ and is not recognised as an image of God. This represents a multi-layered gendered subjugation of women. The subsequent mention that God intended men and women for each other does not retract from the above. Further, head coverings and women’s hair are both defined as a form of covering, the lack or removal of which is a mark of shame. This also creates distinctly gendered rules for men and women with regard to hair. Men are allowed to cut their hair and must not cover it up. Women are not allowed to cut their hair as they must be and remain covered. The question whether this instruction for women to cover their head intends for women to wear their hair as a covering lies beyond the scope of this paper.7 Another relevant Bible text that is more women-friendly is Prov- erbs 31,10-31, setting out the characteristics of a good housewife. The Woman Who Fears The Lord (10) An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. (11) The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. (12) She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (13) She seeks wool and flax, and works with will- ing hands.

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