Images(2)

Msinga Headdress

Datemid 20th century

Label TextResembling 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.

Object number2003.64

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Untold Story, November 14, 2003 - November 14, 2004Published ReferencesMcClusky, Pamela, Repeat, Repeat, A Community of Collectors, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 2008, p. 136, illus. 115.

Credit LineGift of Dr. Oliver E. and Pamela F. Cobb

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

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