CC0 · no rights reserved
Woman's Shawl or Head Covering
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A woman would have worn this embroidered textile on her head or her shoulders, with the motifs on her back. It was likely adorned by itinerant Hausa embroiderers, whose knowledge as Koranic scholars inflected their work with a symbolic and calligraphic style. The large, almond-shaped forms may represent lotus leaves or may have links to Islamic talismanic motifs or amulets ( hatumere).
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineWoman's Shawl or Head Covering, 1900–1925. Africa, West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Hausa or Dyula-style, unknown makers. Cotton, silk, indigo and other natural dyes; overall: 150.5 x 120.7 cm (59 1/4 x 47 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Alma Kroeger Fund, 2024.73
