The Phrygian hat, worn by inhabitant of Phrygia, a region from ancient Anatolia, is one of the most ancient head-covering cap whose symbolism was kept “alive” until our contemporary times. This hat is a rather simple, made of soft material, with a crest, comb, or pointed top.
These caps were worn by both men and women, but with a slight difference on the way the borne it. When worn by a male, the top was set jutting forward, when worn by a female, the same prominent part of the cap was bore in reverse, or on the nape of the neck.
Usually, its main color is red, because it represented the blood of the heroes who fought for liberty. Freedom is the main symbol of this pointed hat which will be worn by many others revolutionary faces along the history.
It was first regarded as a symbol of the eastern countries, which were considered rather barbaric. Actually, the very first significance of the hat was that it was borne by people who were not Greeks.
A Liberty Cap appears on the State flags of West Virginia and New Jersey. The official seals of the United States Army and the United States Senate also depict a liberty cap. Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the first college to be chartered in the new Republic of the USA, has got a seal where a traditional Phrygian hat can be seen.
Although these caps are not often worn anymore, many people are familiar with their symbolism. A Phrygian hat which is integrated into a piece of art, whether is a painting or a sculpture, will send a very specific message. Its significant symbolism will not leave these hats anonymous, but they will be revived by the new trends of fashion.
You can buy stylish smurf hats now available in different colours and prints.