Crimson cotton is the ceremonial headgear of the Armenian community in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. The cap is circular in shape and dazzling in hue, symbolic of pre-engagement apparel which was traditionally worn by young Armenian women. The entire covered with floral motifs, exquisitely embroidered with metallic threads, shows the fine history of this community in the field of fine needlework.
The cap's major distinction is the gentle symmetry of its design. An exuberant floral design occupies the crown, whereas smaller flowers stitched in metallic threads run along the upper and lower borders. The bright rings of green cotton piping around its periphery understatedly elevate the ornamentation value of the cap. The cap, therefore, gains prominence in a cultural sense as a symbol of youthful grace and the passage into married life. Armenian culture treasures all such intricate garments, as they symbolize rituals and meanings attached to family honor, dignity, and aesthetic beauty.