According to Matthew, what was placed on Jesus’ head before his crucifixion?

According to Matthew, a crown of thorns was placed on Jesus’ head before his crucifixion.

Matthew 27 describes Roman soldiers stripping Jesus, dressing him in a scarlet robe, placing a crown of thorns on his head, and putting a reed in his right hand. They then mock him as “King of the Jews” before leading him away. Mark and John also describe the crown, although their wording and surrounding details differ.

The crown functions in the scene as a cruel parody of royal authority. Instead of honoring Jesus as a king, the soldiers use symbols associated with kingship to ridicule and torment him. The Gospel texts do not identify the plant species used for the thorns, so claims naming one exact botanical species go beyond the biblical wording.

Christian art has made the crown one of the best-known symbols of the Passion. Later traditions proposed relics and specific thorn plants, but those traditions are separate from the concise Gospel statement that soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus.