A matador hat or montera (which means cloth hat) is worn not only by bullfighters but also by men and women of the Iberian peninsula as part of a folk costume.
It was introduced as a part of the traditional suit of lights (traje de luces) in the 1800s. It is typically made of astrakhan fur and lined in velvet or in red silk. It is tight-fitting and has a flat top which represents the bull’s eye and a round bulb above each ear which represents the bull’s horns.
Written by TheSpectrum
1948 Charles James matador inspired hat
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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