Rare French 17/18th Century Blockhead/wig Last With Vellum Sizing

Blockhead:

An unusual but fun piece of history, a 17/18th century French blockhead or wig last. The head is covered with layer upon layer of vellum paper which was used to size for a persons head. The smaller head size and narrow width shows how much smaller people were back when diets weren’t the best. The top shows pinholes from pinning the wig down for weaving. The hole on the bottom is for placing the blockhead on a stand to hold in place.  

History:

In 1624 Louis XIII went prematurely bald. He disguised this with a wig and started a fashion that spread across Europe. Wigs were typically made of horsehair, yak hair or human hair, the latter being the most expensive. Wigs were an expensive undertaking and required constant care from a hairdresser for cleaning, curling and powdering.

Condition: