20 Hat-Wearing Women in a Mughal Illumination.

After the last find, I've been digging through the online collections of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, and came upon this illumination. The piece, entitled Birth of a Royal Infant, is another Mughal-era page dated to approximately 1580, and the illuminated area within the border measures 10 9/16 x 5 1/4 inches. Because its origins aren't clear, there is uncertainty as to whether this was part of the -namas or a separate image. It has some significant tine-related flaws, especially in its bottom section.

However, what it does have going fot it are the depiction of hats. ALL. THE. HATS. And just for fun, I've gone ahead and included the women wearing hats as detail pieces - for future reference. I'm including my own brief notes on what I believe I see here.

The next thing? Finding corroborating similar illuminations that have a certain source.

Somewhat conical hat with slant top, what appears to be a single veil from the top looped under the neck, second scarf or veil around shoulders. The subject appears to be wearing a cote over a caftan.

From the bottom of the illumination, this scetch appears to show either a cylindrical or conical hat with a rounded top, veil pinned to top and sides, a scarf around the neck and shoulders and a caftan.

Flat red hat, no obvious veil, translucent or transparent decidedly large caftan or shirt over white choli or tight shirt, green pants, yellow belt. There were women of many cultures in the harem, which means this individual may not be of the royal Mughal line,

This shorter hat appears to be pinched at the top, though there's not enough detail to be certain from this online image. Pink caftan, tight at the wrists.

Despite the resolution and damage, thiere's a lot to see here. This woman appears to be wearing a conical hat with a red underveil and possibly a white scarf around the neck. It is possible she is wearing a translucent shirt or jacket over a coat and caftain, but there is simply not enough detail here to tell.

Red conical hat with slanted top and gold adornment, translucent white veil that may be hanging to the sides, black necklace, yellow dupatta or scarf with pattern looped around the arms, green caftan.

This one's harder. The black mark may or may not be original to the painting. If it is, this woman appears to be wearing a conical hat that comes to a point, has a wide brim and a big feather. If not, this might be a paneled hat, with a center similar to a trifold but with more outere panels. Veil not apparent. She wears a dark scarf over a pink caftan and a yellow belt.

Yellow conical hat with almost flat top, translucent veil left open at neck, pearls, red caftan and white scarf.

Oh wow, this woman has all the embellishments on her hat, and the translucent veil is clearly pinned to the top and sides and worn open at the sides. The dupatta is red and the caftan is blue.

The two ladies behind the lass in blue are too close to really separate. The one in th brown caftan with the green dupatta is wearing a flat gold hat - maybe some variant of a fez? The one next to her in the white hat has a white veil that is looped under the chin along with an orange dupatta or second veil and is wearing white.

Another conical hat, this time with a red top (!) and the same sort of translucent veil pinned to the top and sides. It's hard to determine whether a chin strap or the veil is looped under the chin, thanks to the dupatta wrapped around the neck. Blue caftan.

THIS WOMAN. The one in the red cote and green caftan (YES - look at the ebows jutting out of the red cote in those green sleeves!!) and blue dupatta, with her sassy sea green hat and translucent veil pinned to the hat and pulled under the chin. I like her style. Also, those bewbs.

That is a jewelled, flat top conical boqta right there, and it is a thing of awesomeness. But what she's wearing otherwise is hard to determine. I would suspect she's wearing a white shirt or caftan and orange or red pants, with a translucent caftan over it all. One of the few feet in the shot - and is that polish on her big toe? Wait, what?

This right here. Striped conical hat, translucent veil pinned to top and sides. black necklace with gold penant, cream colored caftan. That's either a long gold veil or dupatta she has wrapped around her "doing my own breast exam" posed arms, and it appears her pink cote is lined in blue.

That is DEFINITELY a chinstrap on the black and gold hat, no doubt. I can't really ttell if the lighter portion of her hair is covered with a hat veil or not, but she seems to be daubing her armpits with her patterned red dupatta. Green caftan.

Another flat topped gold hat on the lady in the white choli or shirt, red pants and translucent overdress. I am suspecting the ladies in the flat caps are servants of some sort.

Red ornaamented cap with what appears to be a gold brooch, pinned translucent veil to top and sides of hat, yellow belt wrapped around upper torso. White chemise and orange pants or skirt under translucent over layer. Also, pit stains>

This wallflower is wearing a scarlet caftan and yellow conical hat with a less translucent white veil attached to the hat and looped under the throat. I can't tell if that's another person in white in front of her or if she's holding something.

This one's probably the hardest - can't see the top of the hat, but it appears to be cylindrical and rounded at the top, gold. No veil. Yellow caftan.

Now that I have this down, I'm going to try to pin my veils like some depicted here, with pins in the sides but the front panel exposed.

I also notice once again - there are no shoes. I really need a good look at those shoes.