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Headdress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ)

early to mid-1900s · Wood, glass beads, upholstery studs, and natural fiber

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Owned and used for entertainment by young unmarried men only among some Baga subgroups, this type of headdress is said to represent the Maiden, a beautiful young woman. With a beaded necklace and eyes embellished with furniture tacks, the headdress was attached to a cone-shaped costume consisting of colorful cloths and raffia and constructed over a bamboo armature.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description

Credit lineHeaddress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ), early to mid-1900s. Africa, West Africa, Guinea, Baga-style carver. Wood, glass beads, upholstery studs, and natural fiber; overall: 52.1 x 15.6 cm (20 1/2 x 6 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Edgar A. Hahn, 1964.376

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