Woman's marriage or ceremonial veil

Women among the Ida ou Nadif and Ida ou Zeddoute peoples of North Africa wear dye-decorated headcloths on special occasions (fig. 52).(37) The rectangular or roughly U-shaped patterns, created by tying the cloth and dyeing it with henna, appear in 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.(38)

The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, cat. 93, pp. 246-247.

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NOTES:

37. Paydar, Niloo Imami, and Ivo Grammet, eds. The Fabric of Moroccan Life. Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 2002. pp. 269, 273.

38. Picton, John, and John Mack. African Textiles. 2nd ed. New York: Harper and Row, 1989. p. 48.