View source for Qeleshe

{{Short description|White brimless felt cap traditionally worn by Albanians}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Plis (hat)|Pileus (hat)}}
{{Italic title}}
[[File:Old man of Has of Prizren.jpg|thumb|upright|Old man of [[Has (region)|Has of Prizren]] wearing a ''qeleshe'']]
The '''{{Transliteration|sq|qeleshe}}''', also known as '''{{Transliteration|sq|plis}}''' and '''{{Transliteration|sq|qylat}}''',<ref name="DiMonaco354"/> is a white brimless [[felt]] [[wikt:Special:Search/skullcap|skull cap]] traditionally worn by [[Albanians|Albanian]]s. It has spread throughout Albanian-inhabited territories, and is today part of the [[Albanian national clothing|traditional costume of the Albanians]]. The height and shape of the cap varies region to region.

==Etymology==
[[File:Head of Young man. Study (Charles Bargue) - Nationalmuseum - 18601.tif|thumb|upright|Portrait of a young Albanian soldier wearing a ''qeleshe''. Oil on canvas by [[Charles Bargue]] (1826–1883).]]
In Albanian: {{small|def. sin.}} {{lang|sq|qeleshja}} or {{lang|sq|plisi}}, {{small|indef. pl.}} {{lang|sq|qeleshe}} or {{lang|sq|plisa}}, {{small|def. pl.}} {{lang|sq|qeleshet}} or {{lang|sq|plisat}}.

The word ''qeleshe'' comes from the [[Albanian language|Albanian]] word for wool (''lesh'').<ref name="Orel199b">{{cite book|author=Vladimir Orel|title=Albanian Etymological Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yJQYAQAAIAAJ&q=albanian+etymological+dictionary|year=1998|pages=219|publisher=Brill Academic Pub|isbn=9004110240}}</ref> According to [[Vladimir Orel]], the word ''plis'' comes from [[Proto-Albanian language|Proto-Albanian]] {{lang|sq|*p(i)litja}}, related to [[Old High German]] {{lang|goh|filiz}} id., [[Latin]] {{lang|la|pellis}} id. and [[Greek language|Greek]] πῖλος {{Transliteration|grc|pilos}} id., [[Proto-Slavic]] ''*pьlstь'' id.;<ref name="Orel199a">{{cite book|author=Vladimir Orel|title=Albanian Etymological Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yJQYAQAAIAAJ&q=albanian+etymological+dictionary|year=1998|pages=334|publisher=Brill Academic Pub|isbn=9004110240}}</ref> according to Michael Driesen, Orel's reconstruction of Proto-Albanian {{lang|sq|*p(i)litja}} is incorrect.<ref>{{cite journal|last=C. Driessen|first=Michael|title=Towards an Indo-European Term for 'Felt' |journal=Journal of Indo-European Studies|year=2004|page=32|isbn=9780941694872|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o5oYAAAAYAAJ|quote=Alb. plis recently received an etymology by Orel (1998:334) who reconstructs *p(i)litja- which he connects with Lat. pellis 'hide, fur', PSlav. *pblstb 'felt' and Gr. 'πίλος'. It is not very clear what he means with a reconstruction *p(i)litja-. A pre-form *pilitja- with the element *pil- of alleged *pil-s-o- is obviously incorrect. First of all, an element *pil-(s-) 'felt', as argued earlier on,  probably does not exist. Secondly, intervocalic ''*l'' develops into Albanian ''ll'' (Pedersen 1895:535-536). One would therefore expect *pllis.}}</ref>

==Process==
There are many ways to make the ''qeleshe'' but it is always hand made. The most common way, in Kosovo, is using soap on the wool. In the [[bazaar]] of [[Krujë]], it is constructed by first getting a small chunk of wool that is placed on a table. Then, an instrument similar to a bow is used to beat the wool by hammering the string with a stone or a sturdy piece of wood. The wool is beaten and pressed until the wool strands become knotted around each other. Finally, it is washed, and shrinks.

It is then pressed by a flat wooden instrument on top of it, multiple times, until the wool becomes completely flat and smooth. Then, it is sealed in a flattener for 24 hours and soaked in hot water and salt. The hat is made by two finished, flattened and pressed wool.  The corners are removed to form a round shape. Afterwards, soap is added as a glue substitution to finely keep the fibres smooth while both pieces of wool are rubbed together.  Then it is washed and beaten to strengthen the fabric, and placed on a wooden model.
The shape of the ''qeleshe'' is determined by the wooden model on which it is left to dry, and then rubbed with soap again to fix the shape. The wool will be smoothened with a razor. Lastly, a wooden instrument is firmly rubbed on the ''qeleshe''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqb74msgv5E | title=Albanian MOUNTAIN FOOD in Krujë Castle!! BAZAAR Shopping for Qeleshe &#124; Krujë, Albania | website=[[YouTube]] | date=10 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhiAZuZtXgE | title=A1 Report - Qeleshja mbijeton ndër shekuj | website=[[YouTube]] | date=3 December 2014 }}</ref><ref>
Gloyer, Gillian (2012). Bradt Albania (engelsk). Bradt Travel Guides. s. 49. {{ISBN|978-1-84162-387-0}}.</ref>

==History==
[[File:Albanian woolen cap shop.jpg|thumb|300px|Albanian ''qeleshe'' shop in the Old Bazaar - [[Gjakova]], 1936]]
The Albanian ''qeleshe'' has been handed down from [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] times.<ref>{{harvnb|Stipčević|1977|p=89|ps=: "It is generally agreed, and rightly so, that the modern Albanian cap originates directly from the similar cap worn by the Illyrians."}}</ref><ref name="Recherches albanologiques: Folklore et ethnologie">{{cite book|title=Recherches albanologiques: Folklore et ethnologie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6niAAAAMAAJ|access-date=14 April 2013|year=1982|publisher=Instituti Albanologijik i Prishtinës|page=52|quote=Ne kuadrin e veshjeve me përkime ilire, të dokumentuara gjer më tani hyjnë tirqit, plisi, qeleshja e bardhë gjysmësferike, goxhufi-gëzofi etj}}</ref>{{sfn|Schubert|1993|pp=340, 342}}

The Illyrian hemispherical cap dates from the Iron Age, found both in men's and women's graves, hence it can be assumed that it was worn both by men and women. A monument from Illyrian times that was found in [[Zenica]] shows a calotte-shaped cap, very similar to the ''qeleshe''. The Albanian/Illyrian cap has been classified in a broader and general Mediterranean framework, relying on illustrations on situlae and girdle plates from the later [[Iron Age]] in [[Northern Italy]] and the [[Southern Alps]]. They also feature figures with hemispherical headgear with a small spike. The wearers of such caps are depicted carrying agricultural tools which leads to consider them as country people.{{sfn|Schubert|1993|pp=340}} Furthermore, in monuments from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD from Bosnia, Illyrians under Roman rule are depicted with similar cap shapes.{{sfn|Schubert|1993|pp=342}} Such caps are absent in the eastern half of the Balkans, in the [[Pannonia]]n-[[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathian]] region and in eastern Europe.{{sfn|Schubert|1993|pp=342}}

The 1542 Latin dictionary {{lang|la|De re vestiaria libellus, ex Bayfio excerptus}} equated an Albanian hat with a [[kyrbasia]], and described it as a "tall pileus [hat] in the shape of a cone" ({{lang|la|pileus altus in speciem coni eductus}}).{{sfn|Bernis|1972|p=706|ps=: "Le dictionnaire latin BAYFIO. «De re vestiaria», publié à Paris en 1542, constitue un témoignage intéressant du fait que les occidentaux consideraient le chapeau albanais comme un chapeau haut. Ce dictionnaire décrit la «cibaria» [kyrbasia] comme un chapeau albanais ou comme un «pileus altus in speciem coni eductus»."}} An early depiction of the hemispherical ''qeleshe'' can be seen on [[Johann Theodor de Bry]] depiction of [[Moisi Golemi]] from 1596, however, earlier Italian and documents exist depicting Albanians wearing the ''qeleshe'' from earlier centuries.<ref>↑ Nopcsa 1925: Franz Baron Nopcsa: Albanien: Bauten, Trachten und Geräte Nordalbaniens. Berlin; Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter. 1925.</ref> It is also argued by Nopcsa that it may have been coloured red. During the 17-19 centuries, the appearances description and appearances steadily multiplied, depicting it as a common Albanian headdress as it became more widespread and easily accessible to wear. The white version became the most popular one and was finally declared a specific Albanian national costume during the [[Albanian Renaissance]].

In the 18-19 century, the ''qeleshe'' became popularly depicted in painting depicting [[Arnaut]], painters like [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]], [[Charles Bargue]] and [[Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier]] would paint Albanian subjects of the [[Osman Empire]] with the ''qeleshe'', as a diverse presentation of the [[orientalism|orient]]. It would be casually depicted in a formal setting, such as in ''The Albanian Marriage'' by [[Jean Pierre Louis Laurent Hoüel]] in 1785, where the priest is depicted with a ''qeleshe''.

During the 19-20 century, [[Albanology|Albanologists]] started taking photographs of Albanian national attires, many of which would include the ''qeleshe''. [[Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás]] is photographed multiple times wearing the headdress. It then became a popular headdress for Albanian soldiers to wear during the battle for independence, [[Shota Galica]], [[Isa Boletini]] and [[Azem Galica]] are depicted wearing the ''qeleshe'' while fighting Italian, Turkish, Greek, Serbian and Montenegrin troops during the [[Partition of Albania]]. The ''qeleshe'' formed part of the official uniform of the [[21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg|Waffen-SS Skanderbeg]] division and [[Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry|Albanian Legion]].{{sfn|Kane|2014|p=288}}{{sfn|Thomas|Babac|2012}}

==Overview==
The cap is part of the traditional costume of the Albanian highlanders<ref name="Gjergji2004">{{cite book|author=Andromaqi Gjergji|title=Albanian Costumes Through the Centuries: Origin, Types, Evolution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vc3fAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Acad. of Sciences of Albania, Inst. of Folc Culture|isbn=978-99943-614-4-1}}</ref><ref name="Hall2014">{{cite book|author=Richard C. Hall|title=War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wy3TBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA288|date=9 October 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-031-7|pages=288–}}</ref> and is considered as a [[National symbols of Albania|national symbol]] among a large number of Albanian communities.<ref>Gjergji, 2004, p. 166: "To this day many zones of the Dukagjin Plateau in Kosova and various zones inhabited by Albanians in Montenegro and Macedonia have preserved their folk costumes or some expressive element of the costume, such as the white "qeleshe" (brimless felt cap) considered as a symbol of their nationality."</ref> During the Ottoman period, the hat as a white colored [[Fez (hat)|fez]] cap was the characteristic Albanian national headgear, in particular of Muslim Albanians.<ref name="DiMonaco354">{{cite book|last=Di Monaco|first=Florindo|title=Un mondo di acconciature: itinerario alla scoperta di centomila idee e misteri che vengono quotidianamente al pettine|year=1999|publisher=Edizioni scientifiche italiane|isbn=9788881145300|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UFZEAAAAYAAJ&q=qeleshe+fez|pages=354}} "Gli Albanesi, in parte di religione musulmana, conservano del lunghissimo periodo della dominazione turca il caratteristico fez bianco (qylaf o qeleshe), autentico copricapo nazionale, la cui altezza varia da regione a regione."</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Stipčević|1977|p=89|ps=: "From among the various caps that the Illyrians wore, one can distinguish four different types. On the monument from Zenica  one can see the more common type of skullcap. Fundamentally it does not differ from the present-day small, white Albanian fez known as a qeleshe."}}</ref>

[[File:Ethnographic museum wool.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Wool products at the [[Kruja]] Ethnographic Museum.]]
In the northern Albanian highlands, the shape is [[hemispherical]], while in [[Kukës]], it is truncated.<ref name="Nagel1990">{{cite book|author=Nagel|title=Albania|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bY8nAQAAMAAJ|access-date=14 April 2013|year=1990|publisher=Nagel Publishers|isbn=978-2-8263-0827-0|quote="The qeleshe, the white felt cap worn by men, was a distinctively Albanian type of headgear both within the country and beyond its frontiers" [...] "Among the mountain people of the north it was hemispherical in form; at Kukés in the form of a truncated cone"|page=62}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=May 2015}} In southern Albania, the cap is taller than in northern Albania, especially in the [[Gjirokastër]] and [[Vlorë]] regions, with the exception of the [[Myzeqe]] low plains region. In some areas of southern Albania the cap has a small protrusion. The cap is made from one single piece of [[woolen]] [[felt]], usually white, that is molded to the shape of the head.<ref name="Nagel1990"/>{{better source needed|date=May 2015}}

The cap is used by men during the traditional weddings of the [[Tirana]] region.<ref name=Vaqarri>{{cite journal|last=Vaqarri|first=Sabina|title=TRADICIONALITET DHE RISI NE DASMËN TIRANASE|journal=Albanological Research - Folklore and Ethnology Series|year=2010|issue=40|pages=313–322|url=http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/issuedetails.aspx?issueid=791c6248-5031-4476-89b2-49a0a7b3d3cb&articleId=245ce7d2-a353-48b2-9385-388964c3fc24}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Plisi 002.png|Hemispherical type ''qeleshe''.
File:Plisi 001.png|Flat-topped fez type ''qeleshe''.
File:The symbol of Albanians.JPG|Hemispherical, oval and flat topped shapes of ''qeleshe''.
File:Mjeshtri i plisave.jpg|A felt-maker.
File:Arolsen Klebeband 01 455 2.jpg|[[Moisi Golemi]], engraving by [[Johann Theodor de Bry]], 1596.
File:Lahut, fyell, çifteli.tiff|Albanian music trio with hemispherical type ''qeleshe'', [[Has District]].
File:ARGJIRO POLYPHONY.jpg|Iso-polyphony ensemble Grupi Argjiro wearing tall ''qeleshes'' with a small protrusion on the top, [[Gjirokastër]]
File:Fustanela 001.jpg|Albanian singers with flat-topped type ''qeleshe'', [[Skrapar]].
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Qeleshe}}
*[[Culture of Albania]]
*[[List of hat styles]]
*[[List of headgear]]
*[[Pileus (hat)|Pileus]]
*[[Opinga]]
*[[Traditional clothing of Kosovo]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book |last=Bernis |first=Carmen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2mnrAAAAMAAJ |title=Actes du XXIIe Congrés International d'Histoire de l'Art, Budapest, 1969: Évolution générale et développements régionaux en histoire de l'art |publisher=[[Akadémiai Kiadó]] |editor-last=Rósza |editor-first=György |volume=1 |year=1972 |page=706 |language=fr |chapter=Échanges pendant la Renaissance entre les modes espagnoles et les modes de l'Europe centrale et orientale (hongroise, albanaise et turque)}}
*{{cite book| last = Kane| first = Robert B.| editor-last = Hall| editor-first = Richard C.| year = 2014| title = War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia| chapter = Skanderbeg SS Division| publisher = ABC-CLIO| location = Santa Barbara, California| isbn = 978-1-61069-031-7| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wy3TBAAAQBAJ}}
*{{cite book|last=Schubert|first=Gabriella|title=Kleidung als Zeichen: Kopfbedeckungen im Donau-Balkan-Raum|publisher=Harrassowitz|year=1993|isbn=9783447034050|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=16WBAAAAMAAJ}}
*{{cite book|last=Stipčević|first=Aleksandar|title=The Illyrians: History and Culture|publisher=Noyes Press|year=1977|series=History and Culture Series|isbn=0815550529|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLcWAQAAIAAJ}}
*{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Nigel |last2=Babac |first2=Dusan |title=Armies in the Balkans - 1914-18 |date=2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing. |location=United Kingdom |isbn=9781780967356}}

{{Albania topics}}
{{Folk costume}}

[[Category:Caps]]
[[Category:Albanian clothing]]
[[Category:Culture of Kosovo]]
[[Category:Wool clothing]]