Head Cloth

Item number Sf828 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Data
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Description

The cloth is a sheer rectangle of crepe-like texture with a white and brown pattern. The pattern is resist-dyed with rectangles arranged in diagonally repeating rows. The rectangles are white and two shades of brown with a dark brown outlining around each. Some rectangles have a brown dot in the centre. The cloth is composed of two loom widths joined by an almost invisible seam.

History Of Use

Lightweight cloths of this type that have been excavated were originally folded and piled on the head of the mummy (Tsunoyama). They are found in simple and elaborate burials and were probably worn on the head during life as well. They are presumed to be women's head cloths (Rowe).

Iconographic Meaning

The hook motif in coastal textiles is interpreted as a 'wave' symbol by some (p.c., Elizabeth Benson; Tsunoyama) although an older derivation appears to be from intertwining serpent borders.