. . . "This is a more luxurious version of coif, embroidered in coloured silks, embellished with precious metal threads and freshwater pearls. The repeated motif of a snake with a rose and floral sprigs may have been inspired by the visual images in popular emblem books. \n\nUntil the end of the 17th century the coif was informal headwear for women. Plain linen versions were worn by the working-class. Middle-class and aristocratic women wore elaborately decorated coifs. It would have been worn by itself indoors, or with a hat on top in public. In Western Europe it was customary for both men and women to cover their heads in public up until the 1960s. A hat was an essential part of respectable dress and, from a health perspective, head coverings were considered necessary to protect against chills and disease."@en .