Woman wearing a partlet – garment that covers the neck, shoulders, and neckline, popular in the late 15th – 17th century. Cropped part of Joachim Beuckelaer’s painting The Four Elements: Fire. A Kitchen Scene with Christ in the House of Martha and Mary in the Background, 1570.
Two vintage 18th-century fichus (large, often square kerchiefs or shawls worn thrown over the shoulders). The Italian lace fichu on the left comes from The Met and dates between the 18th and 19th centuries, while the British fichu on the right is from the V&A and it's made of cotton and dates the third quarter of the 18th century.
