Woman's Shawl or Head Covering
Unknown Artist
1900–1925
Medium
Cotton, silk, indigo and other natural dyes
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":1.505,"width":1.207}}
Classification
Textile
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Alma Kroeger Fund
Accession Number
2024.73
About this artwork
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).