German, Nuremberg, c.1520–30. possibly after a drawing by Hans Schwarz (1492–after 1521).
Probably from Nuremberg, this small honestone portrait relief shows an unknown woman embracing the fashions of Renaissance Germany. She is portrayed without a hood or veil, her plaited hair on full view, and wearing a beret – a piece of headwear originally designed for men. Fashion gave women the opportunity to shape their identities, experiment with gender roles and create new versions of feminine virtue and beauty.
C.B. Marlay Bequest
Cat. no. 119
