Elizabethan and Early Stuart Embroidered Coifs

Following are embroidered coifs from late 16th and early 17th century England, worn by women and children. When possible, coifs are identified by museum accession numbers to help distinguish one from another.

Forehead cloths and coifs were worn together, as in this 1562 portrait of a woman, probably Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys or thie 1590 portrait of Lady Catherine Neville, Lady Constable, aged 60.

See also these links.

• Coif and forehead cloth attributed to Anne Boleyn
• V&A 7523-1861, c. 1550-1600
• V&A T.12-1948, c. 1570-1599
• Met 64.101.1236, last quarter of the 16th century
• Met 64.101.1238, last quarter of the 16th century
• Met 64.101.1240, c. 1575-1600
• V&A CIRC.868&A-1924, c. 1575-1625
• V&A T.239-1960, c. 1575-1625
By Mrs. Taylor, a coif and forehed clothe of blake, edged with a smale bone lace of gold, and roses of gold and silke.

By Mrs. Crokson, a night coyf of white Cipers florisshed ouer with siluer.

New Year's Gifts for Queen Elizabeth, 1578-1579

---

By Mrs. Robinson, a quoft and a forehead cloth florished with gold and silver.

New Year's Gifts for Queen Elizabeth, 1588-1589

• Philadelphia Museum of Art 1967-125-1, c. 1580s
• Met 64.101.1258, late 16th century
• Cooper-Hewitt 1962-53-1, late 16th century
• V&A T.13-1948, c. 1590-1610
• V&A T.98-1925, c. 1590-1610
• MFA 34.226, late 16th-early 17th century
• Art Institute of Chicago 1948.90, c. 1600
• MFA 1996.51, c. 1600
• Burrell Collection 29.134, c. 1600
• Woman’s embroidered linen coif (Cora Ginsburg 2004), c. 1600
• Christie's Lot 217/Sale 6072, c. 1600
• Christie's Lot 224/Sale 5422, early 17th century
• Christie's Lot 229/Sale 5422, early 17th century
• Christie's Lot 230/Sale 5422, early 17th century
• Christie's Lot 231/Sale 5422, early 17th century
• National Gallery of Victoria D152-1977, early 17th century
• A window into the past — Will of a 17th century lady includes descriptions of two coifs in the 1606 will of a woman named Frances: a “black coif wrought with rosemary stitch” and a “black coif wrought with pearl stitch”
• V&A T.28-1975, c. 1600-1610
• V&A T.57-1947, c. 1600-1625
• V&A 1199-1905, c. 1600-1625
• V&A T.27-1975, c. 1600-1625
• V&A T.32-1936, c. 1600-1625
• V&A T.21-1946, c. 1600-1629
• Met 64.101.1242, c. 1600-1630
• Christie's Lot 2/Sale 9225, c. 1610
• MFA 43.244a, c. 1610-1615
• Meg Andrews c. 1610-1620
• V&A T.69-1938, c. 1620-1640
• V&A T.177-1958, c. 1620-1640

• Coif and forehead cloth attributed to Anne Boleyn
• Met 64.101.1237, last quarter of the 16th century
• Met 64.101.1239, last quarter of the 16th century
• Christie's Lot 10/Sale 5572, late 16th century
• Christie's Lot 221/Sale 5422, late 16th-early 17th century
• V&A CIRC.868&A-1924, c. 1575-1625
• Burrell Collection 29.134, c. 1600
• V&A T.42-1938, early 17th century
• V&A T.57A-1947, c. 1600-1625
• V&A CIRC.265-1911, c. 1600-1625
• Met 64.101.1243, c. 1600-1630
• MFA 43.244b, c. 1610-1615