Pileus

In the pictureAgainst a beige background, a red hemispherical cap sits on a white sponge cylinder stand. Vertical seams joining several pieces meet at a small knotted nub at the top, and a line of stitching also runs around the lower edge. There is no decoration, and one small black stain shows at the center front. The record lists the material as leather, but in the photograph the surface looks even and soft, like cloth. The cap is a little wider than the stand, so its edge sticks out slightly. The photograph was taken straight on at eye level, so the cap looks like a flat dome.

BackgroundPileus is Latin for a brimless cap, and the word is also used for the small round cap (zucchetto) that Catholic clergy wear on the crown of the head. The color of this cap varies with rank, and red belongs to cardinals. However, the collection record does not say who wore it, and while the material is given as leather, the classification is "Textiles-Woven," so the records contradict each other. Agnes Clark gave it in 1941, and its accession number, C.I.41.124.8, runs on to the very next number, a red biretta. The date is given only as the 18th century.

Puzzle tipThere are only three masses, the red cap, the white stand, and the beige background, so 24 pieces is plenty. Assemble the round outline of the cap and the pieces along the edge of the white stand first, then fill in the cap following the direction in which the vertical seams converge on the nub. The black stain on the front marks the center piece. Connect the white stand by the straight line of its lower edge, and tell the background apart by the slight difference between its lighter top and darker bottom.