Headscarf or Veil
Ida Ou Nadif
1901–1950
- Medium
- Wool, plain weave; resist dyed; corner cut tassels; wrapped and buttonhole-stitched ends
- Dimensions
- 174 × 106.8 cm (68 1/2 × 42 in.)
- Genre
- costume - weaving
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
wool (textile)costume accessory worn above the waistcostume - weavingcostume accessoryresist dyeingNorthern Africa and the Sahelmoroccodyeingarts of Africaweaving - printedAfrican Textilescostume20th CenturyTextileweavingplain weaving
About
Through the 20th century, rural women of the Anti-Atlas mountain region of Morocco wore veils like this design over their heads, secured with a headband for warmth; now for special occasions only. The Ida ou Nadif and other Imazighen people believe that natural materials and substances are infused with baraka, or blessed virtues. The woven wool of this veil, the wood of the loom used to make it, and herbs cultivated for the dyes, especially henna, are all linked to protective spiritual functions.
