Msinga Headdress

mid 20th century

Resembling a target, this circle filled with texture is actually a hat once worn by a Zulu woman in South Africa. This example, normally tilted at an angle by the wearer, uses a simple circle in the middle as a signature element. Called isicholo, the hat is created from a basketry base to which grass, false and real hair are added. Fat is mixed with powdered deep red ochre and applied to coat the hair, leaving a porous textured surface. After taxi drivers complained that the ochre dyes left stains on their cars, a new style was born: multicolored scarves are now added to update the hats with current fashion and protect cars from red smearing.

Grass, bast fiber, human hair, fat, and ochre

Diameter: 18 1/2in. (47cm)

Gift of Dr. Oliver E. and Pamela F. Cobb

2003.64

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Untold Story, November 14, 2003 - November 14, 2004

Published ReferencesMcClusky, Pamela, Repeat, Repeat, A Community of Collectors, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 2008, p. 136, illus. 115.

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