1967.28.26

Collection type

Object

Description

Headdress (wuqa or wuqayeh) of purple cotton decorated with appliqué, embroidery and a beaded fringe with imitation coins.

Long description

Headdress (wuqa or wuqayeh) of purple dendeki cotton decorated with broadcloth appliqué, cross-stitch embroidery and a beaded fringe with imitation coins. The dendeki cotton is roughly square, with two small projections at the back: these would be gathered together to form a bonnet when worn. The top of the cloth is covered with a large central square of red wool broadcloth appliqué, ornamented with an outer border of serrated yellow broadcloth and an inner border of serrated green broadcloth. The pieces are decoratively sewn on with yellow, red and dark blue silk yarn. There is a large central cross design on the red broadcloth formed of yellow silk cross-stitches. The front two corners of the dendeki are each covered with a rectangle of red broadcloth, stitched on with yellow silk thread. These are mostly covered in geometric cross-stitch embroidery in red, black, yellow, green, blue and purple silk yarn. An oval piece of material has been applied to the front of the headdress, half plain cotton, half red broadcloth. To this is attached a line of beadwork in red, blue and white triangles, with sixteen imitation copper alloy coins pierced and strung below. Four imitation coins are also strung above the beadwork. Each coin is stamped with a central star, surrounded by moon designs, with tiny star designs stamped around the edge. There are two purple broadcloth ties attached to the edges of the headdress, and two yellow cord braids attached to the reverse of the front two corners.

Geographical reference

Palestine

Asia > Western Asia > Palestine

Person

Field collector Unknown Collector

PRM source Mercy Watson

PRM source Ipswich Museum

PRM source Patricia Margaret Maclaren Butler

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1887

Date collected

1885 - 1887

Acquisition information

Donated: 1967

Materials and processes

Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Felt Wool Textile Animal, Material Ribbon Textile, Material Bead, Material Silk Yarn Animal, Material Copper Alloy Metal, Process Woven, Process Embroidered, Process Appliqué, Process Dyed, Process Stitched, Process Strung, Process Beadwork

Dimensions

Length: max 260 mm excluding ties, Width: max 250 mm excluding ties, Length 285 mm each purple tie, Length 230 each yellow cord

Object numbers

Accession number: 1967.28.26

Research and responses

This object was originally documented as a 'married woman's headdress'. The size and relative simplicity of the headdress and the presence of a small number of imitation coins suggest however that this may in fact have been worn by a girl or a young, unmarried woman. After marriage, women would have worn real currency coins on their headdresses, associated with the 'brideprice' paid to her father by the groom. Other, very similar examples of girl's headdresses with imitation coins can be seen in the collections of the British Museum, and in Shelagh Weir's 'Palestinian Costume' (1989, London: British Museum).

Search terms: Clothing Headgear, Ornament, Marriage, Status, Currency, Headdress