Eme's Compendium

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* Please Note* This is a work in progress.  I am still researching this topic and attempting to update this page to reflect that research.  Thank you.

A Hairstyle of 15th Century Germany and the Evolution of the Wulsthaube

There is a style of hair plaiting and taping  that is predominant in late 15th Century Germany.  This style of hair helped shape German fashion and the evolution of the Wulsthaube in German culture.  This style is now commonly referred to as "crown braids" or "heidi braids" and was worn braided or bound/taped at intervals of a ponytail.  Simple modern instructions on how to wear this style may be found on the internet.   

This style was worn with and without a steuchlein over the hair style.   Here are some examples of this style as worn by ladies in 15th Century Germany without a steuchlein:

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11

Over time the look that was created by the steuchlein being worn over the hair helped the evolution of the wulsthaube - resulting in more extravagant and exaggerated styles for persons of a higher-class.  These later developing styles caused for additional materials to create the desired look of the larger wultshaube.  Initially, the "bump" or "wulst" was the ladies hair worn in the crown style beneath the steuchlein.

Before starting to discuss the fashionable and practical hairstyle that so greatly affected German fashion, let's take a visual walk through the evolution of the wulsthaube:

 12   13   14    15   16   17   1819  20                       21   22   23   24       25   26   27    28   29   30   31   32   33   34       

Footnotes

  1. Lady With Swan Shield, Not Dated, (c. 1450/1491), Attributed to Martin Schnogauer  OE1
  2. The Children of Mercury, c. 1475/1485, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW1 
  3. Envious Person Wild Hunt, c. 1475/1500, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW2 
  4. Jousting Tournament, c. 1475/1500, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW4 
  5. Garden, c. 1475/1500, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW5 
  6. Water Castle (detail 1), c. 1475/1500, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW6 
  7. Water Castle (detail 2), c. 1475/1500, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW7 
  8. Lady With Cavalier, c. 1480, Attributed to the Master of the Housebook OEW3 
  9. The Fourth Foolish Virgin, Before 1483, Attributed to Martin Schnogauer  OE2
  10. Portrait of a Young Furleger With Her Hair Done Up, c. 1497, Attributed to Albrecht Durer OEW8 
  11. Christ Discovered in the Temple (detail), c. 1500, Attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder OE3
  12. Portrait of a Young Girl, Not Dated, (c. 1450/1491), Attributed to Martin Schnogauer
  13. Portrait of a Young Girl With Earrings, Not Dated, (c. 1450/1491), Attributed to Martin Schnogauer
  14. Lady With Unicorn Shield, Not Dated, (c. 1450/1491), Attributed to Martin Schnogauer
  15. The Birth of Mary (detail), c. 1470, Attributed to the Master of the Life of the Virgin
  16. Man and Woman With Shields, c. 1470/1490, Attributed to Master bxg
  17. The Music Making Couple, c. 1470/1490, Attributed to Master bxg
  18. Young Woman, c. 1470/1490, Attributed to Master bxg
  19. Portrait of Ursala Tucher, c. 1478, Attributed to Michael Wolgemut 
  20. Identity Unknown - 11 (Babenberger Stammbaum Detail), c. 1489/1492, Attributed Hans Part 
  21. Portrait of Barbara Durer, c. 1490, Attributed to Albrecht Durer
  22. Nuremberg and Venetian Women, c. 1496/1497, Attributed to Albrecht Durer
  23. The Four Witches, c. 1497, Albrecht Durer
  24. Voluptas, c. 1500's, Attributed to Daniel Hopfer
  25. Portrait of Anna Cuspinian, c. 1502, Attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder
  26. Portrait of Frau Reuss, c. 1503, Attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder
  27. Salome, c. 1510, Attributed to Tilman Riemenschneider
  28. Portrait of Dorothea Meyer, née Kannengiesser, c. 1516, Attributed to Hans Holbien the Younger
  29. Portrait of the Artist's Wife, c. 1517, Attributed to Hans Holbien the Younger
  30. A Young Girl of Cologne and Durer's Wife, c. 1520, Attributes to Albrecht Durer
  31. Darmstadt Madonna (detail), c. 1526 and after 1528, Attributed to Hans Holbien the Younger
  32. Painted tabletop for Erasmus Stedelin (detail), c. 1533, Attributed to Martin Schaffner
  33. Portraits of a Gentleman and a Lady, c. 1538, Attributed to Hans Schopfer the Elder
  34. Portrait of a Woman with her Daughter, c. 1540, Attributed to Barthel Bruyn