Man's coif, knitted of silk. Part of the burial clothing of Ferdinando I Orsini (d. 1549), Duke of Gravina, at San Domenico Maggiore, Naples.
Mathew Gnagy has available in his online shop knitting patterns for three 16th-century garments, for the clothing historian or serious re-enactor. All are designed to be worked in modern wools, either sock/fingering weight or sport weight.
One is a 16th-century stocking pattern "based on surviving examples from Italy. The style is based on a fine gauge silk stocking, but here, we give you the same construction and beautiful detail in a gauge that knits up quickly and resembles wool stockings from the era."
The other two patterns are for an under-coif and a coif with ear-flaps, based (though he does not say so here specifically) on the 1549 Orsini coif pictured above, and its mate. Although the two coif patterns are available separately, they are meant to be worn as a set.
While these are not period patterns, there can be little doubt, judging by Gnagy's meticulous research and high standards, that these patterns will provide excellent examples for the modern knitter of what a period knitted stocking or coif looked like!
