Overview
A nemes is a large cloth of striped fabric fitted across the forehead, its sides brought forward over the shoulders in two broad flaps and its length gathered and bound into a queue at the back. The blue-and-gold stripes and the cobra-and-vulture at the brow marked royalty.
How it is worn
It is set on the head over a band at the forehead, the two front lappets framing the face and the tail secured behind, worn alone or beneath a crown. Reserved for the king (and gods), it appears on statues, reliefs, and the golden mask of Tutankhamun.
History
The nemes is attested from the Old Kingdom — the Great Sphinx wears it — and remained the defining royal headdress for the whole of pharaonic history. More than any garment, its striped shape is the instantly recognised sign of an Egyptian king.