Ancient Egyptian hair net from Illahun dated AD 395 – 642

Sprang hair net. Bag, plaited in red wool, both front and back being decorated by intricate forms of plaiting. The seams, on purple edging, are bordered with lines of co-mingled yellow and green opening out into lozenge shaped spaces with green centres at intervals. A vertical band of purple with yellow and green lines as at seam is separated there from by a red space, down the centre of which runs a narrow wavy line of yellow and green. The top edge is of thick, heavy-plaited, purple wool into the ends of which the closing cords, of green and yellow, are neatly plaited. The bottom cord is missing.

Ancient Egyptian hair net from Illahun dated AD 395 – 642

Object details

  • Reference: BOLMG:1911.63.24
  • Material: wool
  • Period: Coptic Period
  • Excavator: W.M.F. Petrie
  • Dated: AD 395 - 642
  • Object name: hair net
  • Dimensions: Length: 367mm , Width: 265mm
  • Published references: A similar group in the Whitworth Art Gallery, exhibited and published by F. Pritchard, Clothing Culture (2006)
  • Site: Illahun
  • Latitude: 29.233333
  • Longitude: 30.966667