Berber
Woman’s Head Cover (Mendil or Tajira)
Berber, 1899-1965
Scroll
Berber
Woman’s Head Cover (Mendil or Tajira)
Berber, 1899-1965
Physical Qualities
Wool, cotton, 41 x 31 in. (104.1 x 78.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Art Acquisition Fund
Object Number
2011.87
The fanciful fringe and brilliant, almost sparkling pattern of fiery starbursts across a rich indigo ground belie the quiet purpose of this cloth. A Berber woman wore it as a simple headscarf in everyday contexts or occasionally underneath a more ornate dyed and embroidered head-covering. The scarf was made by hand from beginning to end, starting with wool threads spun from the fleece of sheep raised by Berber shepherds. The handspun threads were plain-woven on a rectangular frame loom and tie- and spot- dyed by women artists.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2011; Andres Moraga Textile Art, Berkeley, CA
Nichole Bridges, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Hand Held: Personal Arts from Africa," Sept. 25, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012.
