Medieval Italian Hairstyle (Siena, ca 1328)

Siena, Italy is famous for its ancient rites of civic pride and pageantry, culminating each summer in the Palio Horse Races. In Siena's Art Museum, the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena, we find another kind of pageantry, fine artworks honoring the miracles of local saints. These paintings record the customs, dress and hairstyles of medieval and renaissance times. This detail from Simone Martini's 1328 altarpiece honoring the Blessed Agostino Novello reads like a graphic novel. A servant discovers the broken cradle. The baby, fallen from the cradle, lies senseless on the floor, bleeding from the head. A female relative weeps over his lifeless body. The mother, praying fervently, is rewarded when the Blessed Agostino Novello swoops down from heaven to restore her son to life. Afterward, in gratitude for the miracle, the child's family proceeds to church with offerings of fine wax candles, one carried by the baby and one by its mother. We will now create this lovely braided hairstyle with veil. I will be using the following tools. A grooming comb, a short hair bodkin, a length of narrow cord or ribbon, a length of wool thread the same color as the hair, a translucent rectangular veil, and a sharp tea pin. This hairstyle can be arranged by the wearer herself, and there are likely many other ways of arranging it. This is the one I prefer. Part the hair from forehead to nape. Smooth out the hair with a comb and weave a three-strand inside-augmenting braid from the low crown to the nape. At the nape, continue with a free-hanging braid. Repeat this on the opposite side. Center the cord at the forehead. Wrap the ends twice. Tie a bow knot. Having wrapped the ends twice, the bow will be much more secure. Center the ends of the braids under the chin. Redivide the ends of the braids and weave a single braid all the way to the tips. If desired, wet the ends of the hair to make them more pliable. Wrap the ends tightly with a length of wool thread. Double the ends over and continue wrapping. With the ends wrapped tightly, there's no need to tie any knots. Lift the braids to the top of the head. Fold the end of the braid over to one side. Carefully secure with a short hair bodkin. Here is the finished style, but we're not done yet. During this period, it was customary for respectable married women to always be veiled when out in public. Center one edge of the veil over the top of the head in front of the braid. Carefully secure the veil with a t-pin into the braid at the top of the head. Be very careful not to scratch or prick the scalp. The cord around the head has a practical as well as decorative purpose. It prevents random hairs from falling into the eyes.