Beyond Fashion August 14, 2011–January 1, 2012
The exhibition African Headwear: Beyond Fashion presents a selection of headwear that was once—and in some instances still is—worn by kings and chiefs, religious practitioners, warriors, and men, women, and infants in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It demonstrates the importance of headwear as a means of nonverbal communication about the wearer’s position in society and the stages in his or her life cycle. Above all, the exhibition celebrates the artistry of the hats, which are fashioned from natural materials and found objects in the local environment, as well as from foreign products that became available through trade or conquest.
IN THE BEGINNING The impulse to decorate one’s head is probably as old as humankind. The earliest evidence of African headwear is found in Tassili N’Ajjer, Algeria, and dates to the Neolithic period, 11,000 to 3,000 B.C., when what is now the Sahara Desert was a fertile region that supported diverse peoples. Among the images painted and engraved on the rocky walls at various prehistoric sites are archers and dancers wearing feathers, animal skins, or horns on their heads.1 In freestanding sculptures and on the walls of ancient tombs in northeastern Africa, ancient Egyptian gods, kings, and soldiers are shown wearing distinctive headdresses. Seti I, who is depicted in a granite bust in the DMA’s collection, wears the royal nemes and false beard signifying his status as the pharaoh.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEAD
HEAD AND UPPER TORSO OF SETI I, Egyptian, New Kingdom, 1303–1200 B.C. granite, Dallas Museum of Art, purchased in honor of Betty Marcus with the Art Museum League Fund, the Melba Davis Whatley Fund, and the General Acquisitions Fund, 1984.50 HOUSE OF THE HEAD (ILE ORI), Nigeria, Yoruba peoples, late 19th to early 20th century, leather, cowrie shells, and glass beads, Dallas Museum of Art, African Collection Fund, 2005.13 SYMBOL OF THE INNER HEAD (IBORI), Nigeria, Yoruba peoples, late 19th to early 20th century, glass beads, cowrie shells, and leather, Dallas Museum of Art, African Collection Fund, 2005.102
In sub-Saharan Africa, what one wears on one’s head communicates information about the wearer. The head is considered the most important part of the body. For the Yoruba peoples of southwestern Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, the head is the point through which the soul enters the human body. Furthermore, the head has two parts, an outer part called the ori ode, or physical head that is visible, and the ori inu, or inner aspect. The inner head is associated with personal destiny and therefore an individual enshrines it. The ibori, as the shrine is called, is conceived as a roughly cone-shaped form and is stored in an ile ori, or “house of the head.”2 These objects were as lavishly decorated as the owner could afford, usually with cowrie shells and imported glass beads, which were used as money before the introduction of coin and paper currency. The most ornate examples belonged to Yoruba kings (obas), as exemplified by a pair shown at left.3
DETAILS OF CHECKLIST NO. 6, 7, 27, 28, 29
HEADWEAR FOR KINGS The most elaborate headwear, made of the finest materials and requiring intense labor, is usually reserved for leadership—political or religious leaders and the social elites— while the lowest-ranking individuals on the social ladder may be denied the right to wear anything at all on their heads. Yoruba kings to this day appear in public wearing voluminous robes and veiled, cone-shaped crowns (ade) adorned with colorful coral or glass beads (checklist no. 6). The crown usually features one or more stylized faces, which are thought to symbolize deities or the king’s predecessors, going back to Oduduwa, the founder and first king of the Yoruba peoples. The beaded veil conceals the king’s face as he acts on behalf of the deities rather than himself. The royal bird at its apex represents communication between heaven and earth, although other interpretations refer to the mystical powers of women.4 A king can choose from a variety of orikogbofo, or everyday crowns, which may express his personal taste. The beaded “lawyer’s wig” (checklist no. 7) can be worn when the king presides at the local court or opens a new shopping center. Not all societies are stratified like the Yoruba. The Lega, who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have a “headless” society, without chiefs. Governance is vested in
an age-graded association called Bwami, which is also the educational system by which Lega values of moderation, nonviolence, solidarity, respect, and moral and physical perfection are taught. Bwami is the channel for the visual and performing arts. It is ultimately a channel for prestige. Each grade in Bwami has its own emblems, which include sculptures carved out of ivory or bone and headwear decorated with significant materials. The highest ranking male members of the association wear the sawamazembe, a hat reminiscent of a woman’s plaited hairstyle (checklist no. 27). The white shell at the center of the hat symbolizes the crescent of the moon and draws attention to the wearer’s status. Wives of the highest-ranking members wear the muzombolo, which has a phallic shape (checklist no. 28). When paired together in the performance of Bwami rituals, these headdresses visually stress the importance of mutual support for the good of the community.5 The skins of the small forest crocodile and the pangolin (scaly anteater) are used to make Bwami hats (checklist no. 29). The pangolin is sacred to the Lega; its skin symbolizes piety and respect. According to oral tradition, the pangolin taught the Lega how to cover their houses with roofs made of leaves arranged like the scales of the animal’s back.6
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S HEADWEAR African headwear is generally gender specific and age appropriate, and refers to one’s life experiences. Hundreds of years ago, knotted raffia skull caps (mpu) with raised designs were worn by free men in the Kongo kingdom (checklist no. 17). Kings wore a larger, more elaborate version; slaves wore nothing on their heads. An 18th-century engraving shows this type of hat on the head of a customs officer. Early traveler accounts indicate that cap makers were noblemen and that fashioning such headwear was considered a fine art.7
Young Karamonjong men likewise replicate the traditional mudpack hairstyle in a wig, which is appropriately much smaller and less elaborate than those of their elders (checklist no. 38). The bunlike coiffure is made of matted human hair, and the front section is plastered with clay and painted. It is outfitted with metal plugs for holding precious ostrich feathers. The hairstyle, colors, number of feathers, and other decorative elements are prescribed. To violate the rules of their use could lead to serious intergenerational conflict.8
Today, on ceremonial occasions, Karamonjong elders living in Uganda and Kenya wear wigs styled like the mudpack coiffures (etimat) that were worn many decades earlier (checklist no. 39). Back then, the hairstyle could extend beyond a man’s waist and feature a sort of bag created in the chignon to store small items such as tobacco or ear ornaments.
Among the Himba of Namibia, brides wear an ekori headdress on their wedding day and during the first month of married life (checklist no. 46). The headdress is made of the hides of the animals the Himba herd and is decorated with locally mined and crafted metals. The design of the headdress is significant: at the front, the soft, rolled calfskin and iron-decorated ear flaps prevent the bride from looking in any direction but forward, to her new life as a married woman. At the back of the headdress, cowhide is shaped into cow ears to express her close relationship with the cattle. A mixture of red ochre and butter is used to color the headdress. Beyond the first month of married life, Himba brides wear a different headdress (erember) made of goatskin that is pleated in the shape of rosettes or small animal ears (checklist no. 45). It is similarly reddened with red ochre and butter.9
To make the wig, the hair at the back of the neck is allowed to grow long and may be enhanced with additional hair from friends or relatives. A male hairdresser forms the matted hair into a long bun. The front of the hair is mudded over with gray ochre and, when dry, is painted different colors. The natural hairstyle is carefully cut off the head and finished as a wig. Like the traditional hairstyles, the wigs are decorated with precious ostrich feathers.
CHECKLIST NO. 17, 38, 39, 46
CHECKLIST NO. 45, 8, 9
Contemporary women throughout Africa cover their heads for practical purposes, to be in accord with religious custom, and to be dressed up and alluring. Yoruba women wear geles (head-ties) made of handwoven aso’oke or imported factorymade damask, cotton, velvet, or brocade (checklist no. 8 and 9). The long, rectangular cloth is wrapped, tucked, pinched, folded, pleated, and/or tied into a voluminous design that frames the face. Gele designs change with the current fashion and project the wearer’s personal style. But, on a deeper level, the practice of decorating the head in Yoruba society
relates to critical beliefs about the sacredness of the head (ori).10 Even infants and children of sub-Saharan Africa are given special headwear. The Lugbara and their neighbors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo protect their children from the elements with gourd hats or tightly woven basketry hoods called kadudu (checklist no. 35). A distinct repeat pattern occurs in the weave, and the little knob on the top of the hood may refer to a maternal hairstyle.11
HEADWEAR FOR THE PROFESSIONS Headwear may also signify an individual’s status in a religious organization, profession, or military rank. Among the Fon peoples in the Republic of Benin, male and female initiates into the worship of the vodun (god) Agasu, a deified king, wear an openwork fiber cap with a veil made of cowrie shells. The shape of the headdress is reminiscent of a royal beaded crown (checklist no. 5).12 Both male and female diviners among the Tabwa peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo wear beaded headdresses with feathers projecting from the top and sides (checklist no. 25). The colorful bead-embroidered pattern of opposing isosceles triangles draws attention to the diviner’s head, which, according to the Tabwa and many other African peoples, is the site of an individual’s intelligence, creativity, wisdom, and clairvoyance. The central triangle motif is called “the eye of Kibawa,” a spirit who controls the domain of the head. The juxtaposed triangles on either side are said to represent his wives. During the divination ritual, these spirits possess the diviner and empower him or her to heal the client.13 Master hunters among the Malinke peoples of Mali are distinguished from ordinary men, sorcerers, and other hunters by their pillbox-shaped konkoron. The two duiker horns attached to the center of the hat signify the hunters’ special status (checklist no. 1). Both stylish and practical, they protect a hunter’s head from the bright sun, large thorns on branches, and snakes in trees, as well as from malevolent spirits that might attack his uncovered head to eat his brain. Furthermore, the hat is used as a drinking vessel and as a mold to form clay into hunting charms.14
In Kenya, among the pastoral Maasai, animal fur and ostrich feathers differentiate rank among warriors. Before the practice was prohibited by conservation laws, killing a lion was part of a male youth’s rite of passage into manhood. Having passed this test, the warrior was allowed to wear a tall lion’s mane headdress called a busby (checklist no. 42). Warriors who had yet to attain this goal wore an enkuraru, a face-framing headdress made of ostrich feathers (checklist no. 41).15 In South Sudan, high-ranking Lotuxo warriors wear brass helmets decorated with black weaver bird feathers and sometimes white ostrich plumes (checklist no. 36). An unusual feature of early versions of these helmets was found in the lining, which was often made of the warrior’s own hair. According to a late-19th-century observer, the warrior’s hair was woven with fine twine and trained into the shape of a helmet of about an inch and a half thick, and that was then partially covered with brass. As brass became more readily available through trade, segmented brass helmets replaced the earlier version. Such helmets continued to be used into the 1980s and were considered to be the most prestigious Lotuxan ornament.16 Similar to other traditional African masks and figures, headwear is about more than aesthetics: it is functional and meaningful. Headwear not only adorns the head but also honors the site of an individual’s intelligence, dreams, and destiny. It communicates information about the wearer, such as gender, status in society, membership in an association, rank in an organization, or affiliation with a deity. While some of the hats reproduced here belong to the past, some, like the Yoruba gele, are as current as tomorrow’s fashion.
CHECKLIST NO. 5, 25 (detail), 1
CHECKLIST NO. 36, 41, 42
ROSLYN ADELE WALKER Senior Curator of the Arts of Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific/The Margaret McDermott Curator of African Art Dallas Museum of Art
Cameron, Elisabeth L. “Lega Hats: Hierarchy and Status.” In Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head, edited by Mary Jo Arnoldi and Christine Mullen Kreamer, 147–57. Los Angeles: University of California, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995.
NOTES
Cashion, Gerald. “Hunters of the Mande: A Behavioral Code and Worldview Derived from the Study of Their Folklore.” PhD diss., Indiana University, 1982.
1. Bernolles 1966: opposite p. 42, pl. XIII, ill. 1c; Visonà, Poynor, Cole, et al. 2007: 28, fig. 1–4; Le Quellec 2004: 36, fig. 34. 2. Lawal 2007: 18–22. 3. Walker 2009: 62–63. 4. Lawal 2007: 24. 5. Cameron 2001: 75. 6. Cameron 1995: 157. 7. Gibson and McGurk 1977: 78. 8. Verswijver 2010: 60–71. 9. Beckwith 1999: vol. I, 286–301. 10. Afoláyan and Wass 1995: 138–145. 11. Biebuyck and van den Abbeele 1984: 90, pl. 40. 12. Savary 1989: 119, fig. 2. 13. Mauer and Roberts 1985: 35. 14. Cashion 1982: 160–62. 15. Adamson 1967: 220–36. 16. Spring 1993: 120.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING Bouttiaux, Anne-Marie, Frieda Sorber, and Anne van Custem. African Costumes and Textiles: From the Berbers to the Zulus, the Zaira and Marcel Mis Collection. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2008. Adamson, Joy. Peoples of Kenya. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967. Afoláyan, Michael Oládèjo and Betty Wass. “Yoruba Headties.” In Crowning Achievements: African Arts of Dressing the Head, edited by Mary Jo Arnoldi and Christine Mullen Kreamer, 138–45. Los Angeles: University of California, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995. Beckwith, Carol, and Angela Fischer. African Ceremonies. 2 vols. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999. ______. Faces: Thirty Years of Photography. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2004. Bernolles, Jacques. Permanence de la parure et du masque africains. Paris: G.-P. Maisonneuve et Larose, 1966. Biebuyck, Daniel, and Nelly van den Abbeele. The Power of Headdresses: A Cross-cultural Study of Forms and Functions. Brussels: Tendl S.A., 1984.
Cameron, Elisabeth L. Art of the Lega. Los Angeles: University of California, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2001.
Clarke, Duncan. African Hats and Jewellr y [sic]. Rochester, Kent, U.K.: Grange Books, 1998. Cutsem, Anne van, and Mauro Magliana. Powerful Headdresses: Africa/ Asia: The Ira Brind Collection. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2010. Gibson, Gordon D., and Cecelia R. McGurk. “High Status Caps of the Kongo and Mbundu Peoples. Textile Museum Journal 4, no. 4 (1977): 71–96. Le Quellec, Jean-Loïc. Rock Art in Africa: Mythology and Legend. Translated by Paul Bahn. Paris: Flammarian, 2004. Lawal, Babatunde. Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art: Featuring the Bernard and Patricia Wagner Collection. Atlanta: High Museum of Art; Newark, N.J.: Newark Museum, 2007. Mauer, Evan M., and Allen F. Roberts. Tabwa: The Rising of a New Moon, a Centur y of Tabwa Art. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1985. Savary, Claude. “Rôle du vêtement et de la parure dans les rites vodun chez les Fon (République populaire du Bénin).” In Man Does Not Go Naked: Textilien und Handwerk aus afrikanischen und anderen Ländern. Edited by Beate Engelbrecht and Bernard Gardi. Basel: Ethnologischen Seminar der Universität und Museum für Vökerkunde, in Kommission bei Wepf, 1989. Spring, Christopher. African Arts and Armor. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993. Verswijver, Gustaaf. “Removable Hair Caps of Karamoja (Uganda).” African Arts 43, no. 4 (Winter 2010): 50–71. Visonà, Monica, Robin Poynor, Herbert M. Cole, and Michael Harris. A Histor y of Art in Africa, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2007. Walker, Roslyn Adele. The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2009.
Nigeria, Yoruba peoples Late 19th to early 20th century Glass beads, cloth, basketry, and fiber Dallas Museum of Art, gift of David T. Owsley via the Alvin and Lucy Owsley Foundation, 2008.39.a–b
1. MASTER HUNTER’S HAT (KONKORON) Mali, Malinke peoples 20th century Leather, cotton, duiker horns, natural dye, and herbal medicine Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.8
7. EVERYDAY CROWN (ORIKOGBOFO) Nigeria, Yoruba peoples Early to mid-20th century Canvas, glass beads, and raffia Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 22.2010 2. HUNTER’S HAT Liberia, Dan peoples 20th century Cotton, animal fur, animal claws, animal teeth, animal skin, and leather Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.1 8. HEAD-TIE (GELE) Nigeria, Yoruba peoples c. 2005 Damask Lent by Susan Bryne Montgomery, 31.2011
3. CROWN Côte d’Ivoire, Baule peoples
9. HEAD-TIE (GELE)
c. 1920
Nigeria, Yoruba peoples c. 2011
Wood, gold leaf, and textile
Damask
Dallas Museum of Art, African Art Collection Fund, 2007.34.3
Lent by Taiye Ozigbo, 32.2011
4. LEGBA PRIEST’S HAT Republic of Benin, Fon peoples First half of 20th century Cotton, animal skull, glass, mirror, gourd, cowrie shells, seed pods, metal, leather, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.5
CENTRAL AFRICA
WEST AFRICA
Geographical Checklist
6. ROYAL CROWN (ADE)
10. WARRIOR’S CEREMONIAL HEADDRESS Cameroon, Zulgo Kirdi peoples 1900–50 Pressed canary grass, fiber, and bird head Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.1
5. AGASU DEVOTEE’S HEADDRESS Republic of Benin, Fon peoples First half of 20th century Fiber, cowrie shells, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.7
11. CHIEF’S CAP Cameroon, Grasslands region, Bamileke peoples Early to mid-20th century Cotton, elephant tail hair, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.5
12. CHIEF’S CAP Cameroon, Grasslands area, Bamileke peoples
18. CHIEF’S CAP (NGUNDA OR MPU)
First half of 20th century
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kongo peoples
Cotton, fiber, dye, and wood
Late 19th to early 20th century
Lent by Karen and John Reoch, 1.2011
Plant fiber, leopard’s teeth, and claws Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.4
13. ROYAL MESSENGER’S HEADDRESS Cameroon, North West Province, Bamileke peoples 20th century Raffia and dye Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 10.2009
19. CHIEF’S HAT WITH HORNLIKE PROJECTIONS (MISANGO MAYAKA) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yaka or Suku peoples 20th century Coiled basketry, glass beads, palm splints, and palm fiber Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Linda and Stanley Marcus, 1992.20
20. CHIEF’S CAP (MPU OR MPWE) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Suku peoples 14. PRESTIGE CAP Cameroon, Western Grasslands area, Bamum people First half of 20th century
Mid-20th century Raffia and natural dye Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Karen and John Reoch, 2011.1.1
Cotton fiber, dyes, animal hair, and feathers Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Junior Associates, 1997.14
21. MAN’S EVERYDAY HAT (LAKET) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba peoples 20th century 15. PRESTIGE CAP Cameroon, Grasslands area, Bamum people
Raffia and brass Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.2
First half of 20th century Raffia and glass beads Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Junior Associates, 1997.15 22. HAT Democratic Republic of the Congo, attributed to Kuba peoples Early to mid-20th century Bark Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.3 16. EVERYDAY PRESTIGE CAP (NTAMP) Cameroon, Western Grasslands region Early to mid-20th century Vegetable fiber and natural dye Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.4 23. BEAD-EMBROIDERED PRESTIGE HAT (MPAAN) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba peoples 20th century 17. FREE MAN’S CAP (MPU) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kongo peoples Late 19th to early 20th century Raffia Gift of Karen and John Reoch, 2011.2
Palm leaf fiber textile, cotton textile, cowrie shells, and glass beads Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Anna L. McKinney in honor of Frederick A. Luyties III, 1992.21
24. PRESTIGE HAT (KALYEEM)
29. PANGOLIN SKIN HAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
Early 20th century
20th century
Raffia, glass beads, cowrie shells, connus shells, and brass
Pangolin skin, seed pods, cowrie shells, and basketry
Dallas Museum of Art, General Acquisitions Fund, 1997.88
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.9
25. DIVINER’S HEADDRESS Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tabwa peoples First half of 20th century Leather, fiber, beads, feathers, and fur Dallas Museum of Art, gift of The Cecil and Ida Green Foundation, 1999.62
30. HORNBILL BEAK HAT Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples 20th century Seed, hornbill beak, boar teeth, plant fiber, and cowrie shells Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.6
26. TIERED HAT WITH BRASS DISCS (BOTOLO) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ekonda peoples and neighboring groups (Numba, Bolila, Badia, Iyembe, Sengele, Sakata)
31. HAT Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
Early 20th century
Mid-20th century
Plant fiber and brass discs
Basketry, cowrie shells, elephant tail, and glass beads
Dallas Museum of Art, African Collection Fund, 2007.4
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.7
27. HAT IN THE FORM OF A WIG (SAWAMAZEMBE) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples 20th century
32. HAT Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
Coiled basketry, felted wool, plied palm fiber, halved seeds, shells, buttons (glass and plastic), palm splints, and palm fiber
1900–50
Dallas Museum of Art, The Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Fund, 1992.509
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.7
Crocodile skin, seashell, mussel shells, buttons, and cowrie shell
28. WOMAN’S HEADDRESS (MUZOMBOLO) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
33. HAT WITH CREST AND BOAR’S TUSKS
Feathers, raffia fiber, and plastic buttons
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 55.2010.2
20th century
20th century
Coiled basketry, cowrie shells, mussel shells, boar tusks, camwood powder, palm splints, and palm fiber(?) Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Professional Members League, 1992.19
34. HAT WITH NUT SHELLS (MUKUBA)
41. WARRIOR’S HEADDRESS (ENKURARU)
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega peoples
Kenya, Maasai peoples
20th century
Ostrich feathers, cowrie shells, glass beads, and leather
20th century
Coiled basketry, elephant tail, glass beads, cowrie shells, buttons, and nuts
Lent by George and Sidney Perutz, 82.2009.7
Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Shutt, The Levy Memorial Fund, and the Lot for a Little Fund, 1992.510
35. CHILD’S HOOD (KADUDU) 42. LION’S MANE HEADDRESS (BUSBY) Kenya, Maasai peoples
First half of 20th century
20th century
Basketry
Lion mane
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.3
Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.10
36. WARRIOR’S HELMET South Sudan, Lotuxo peoples First half of 20th century Brass, ostrich feathers, fiber, and human hair Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.4
37. HEADDRESS Uganda, probably Acholi peoples First half of 20th century Cowrie shells and Colobus monkey fur Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.5
38. MUDPACK COIFFURE HEADDRESS Uganda and Kenya, Karamonjong peoples
43. WOMAN’S HAT (INKHOLO)
SOUTHERN AFRICA
EAST AFRICA
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lugbara, Mangbetu, and Lendu peoples
South Africa, Zulu peoples 20th century Basketry, cotton, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.1
44. MARRIED WOMAN’S HAT (ISICHOLO) South Africa, Masinga District, Zulu peoples 20th century Human hair and red ochre Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.3
45. MARRIED WOMAN’S HEADDRESS (EREMBER)
Mid-20th century
Namibia, Himba peoples
Human hair, pigment, fiber, clay, and metal
20th century
Lent by George and Sidney Perutz, 82.2009.2
Goatskin, brass, iron, animal hair, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.9
39. MUDPACK COIFFURE HEADDRESS Uganda and Kenya, Karamonjong peoples Mid-20th century Human hair, ostrich feathers, pigment, and clay Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 25.2008.6 46. WEDDING HEADDRESS (EKORI) 40. CHIEF’S HEADDRESS Kenya, Turkana peoples Mid-20th century Ostrich feathers, fiber, glass beads, and hide Lent by George and Sydney Perutz, 82.2009.3
Namibia, Himba peoples 20th century Cowhide, iron, and pigment Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee, 61.2010.10
African Headwear: Beyond Fashion is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art. Support provided in part by a grant from Michael and Shelly Dee. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of Museum members and donors and by the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Cover: checklist no. 13 (detail); back: checklist no. 25 (detail)
The Dallas Museum of Art would like to thank Michael and Shelly Dee for their generous support of this publication. When Michael Dee proposed to Shelly on New Year ’s Eve 1990 in The French Room at the Adolphus, it was with tribal earrings called Padung Padung from Karo Batak of Sumatra, Indonesia. From this most unique engagement, Michael and Shelly have shared a passion for collecting tribal art and, in particular, these headdresses of African histor y and tradition. Their friendship with Joel Cooner has enabled them to find pieces of importance and style. The shapes and materials used in the headdresses found throughout Africa appealed to their sense of the exotic and to their love for Africa, which they have visited frequently. Throughout their twenty years of marriage, they have collected more than forty African headdresses and, while both have their favorite, it is that these were at one time essential elements of daily life and personal statements of tribal peoples that is so enthralling to them.