Question
Answer and Explanation
A peruke maker, also known as a wig maker, historically created perukes, which are elaborate wigs often associated with the 17th and 18th centuries. Their craft involved a complex process of crafting and maintaining these intricate hairpieces.
The work of a peruke maker included several key tasks: Selecting appropriate human or animal hair (often horsehair, goat hair or human hair), preparing the hair by cleaning and sorting it, creating a foundation or base for the wig (typically made of netting or leather), attaching the hair to the base using various techniques like knotting and sewing, styling the wig using heat and tools such as combs and curling irons and finally, maintaining and restoring wigs which includes cleaning, repairing and re-styling. The wig would be made to fit the customer's head comfortably and style preference. The peruke maker needed a strong understanding of historical hairstyles and meticulous handcrafting skills.