Brand-new 18th-century fathers wore a special hat to receive visitors who had come to admire the baby. This white one in piqué de Marseille, or Zaans stitching, is a fine example. You might recognise the stitching technique from quilts. There was a whole ritual involved: the father put ‘his new father’s cap on his head and stirred the sugared wine, enjoyed with “sweets”, with a cinnamon stick [...]’, to celebrate the arrival of new life. [text 2024]