Woman's marriage or ceremonial veil
- CULTURE:
- Amazigh, (Berber), Ida ou Zeddoute peoples
- DATE:
- 1900–1930
General Description
Women among the Ida ou Nadif and Ida ou Zeddoute peoples of North Africa wear dye-decorated headcloths on special occasions. The rectangular or roughly U-shaped patterns, created by tying the cloth and dyeing it with henna, appear tan, reddish brown, and bluish black on a natural ground. Patterns called mirrors are believed to protect the wearer against the evil eye. The cloth is draped so that the dramatic pattern cascades down the wearer's back.
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2009), 246-247.
Web Resources
-
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Art & Life in Africa
Read more about dress in Africa. -
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Art & Life in Africa
Learn more about African textiles.