Carlos SolisMuseum historians believe that this headpiece was crafted around 30 B.C.
Such hats were worn by Roman soldiers following the death of Cleopatra VII, when Egypt was conquered by the Roman Empire.
The hat, made from a fabric similar to felt, was designed to protect legionaries from the scorching sun and sandstorms of the Egyptian desert.
The restoration is significant: only three such headpieces survive. The second is part of the collection at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, while the third is housed in a museum in Florence, Italy.
A Rare Find
This intriguing exhibit has been preserved at the Bolton Museum for over a century. Its restoration was made possible thanks to a private donation, as reported by the BBC.
Restorer Jackie Hyman said that when she took the hat out of its box, it resembled a floppy sun hat but was flat and badly damaged by moths. Due to the fragility of the artifact, the team had to handle it with extreme care.
“If the hat could talk, it would tell us who made it and who wore it,” Ms. Hyman said.
This ornate headpiece was donated to Bolton’s Chadwick Museum in 1911 by English archaeologist Sir William Flinders Petrie, often called ‘the man who discovered Egypt.’ Later the hat became part of Bolton Museum, where it is now on display for the first time since restoration. The restoration was funded by Ritherdon, an electrical-goods manufacturer in Darwen, England.
The Bolton Museum takes pride in its world-renowned collection of over 12,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts.
