This magnificent cap, known as a kupka, were worn on the Sabbath and holidays to cover the hair of a married Jewish woman. The intricate craftsmanship indicates these were owned by well-to-do women. Luxurious textiles made of silk and embroidered with gold and silver thread using an intricate decorative technique known as "Spanier Arbeit" were made by Polish Jews during the 17th-19th centuries.
Polish Jews used the Spanier Arbeit technique in luxury textiles such as Torah mantles, Ark Curtains, neck bands for Tallit, men’s kippah, women’s head coverings "kupka, " and women’s bodice pieces known as "brustikher". Esther Juhasz goes into further detail of these types of textiles, in her book "The Jewish Wardrobe: From the Collection of the Israel Museum".
Dimensions; 13in L., 10in W., 5in H., 34cm L., 24cm W., 12cm H.
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