Headband

Item number Sf868 a-c from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Long narrow band of red-brown bast fibre. Braided areas alternate with tapestry woven step blocks and step frets in red, green and yellow alpaca yarns. The dark outlining of the tapestry designs is almost completely deteriorated. The braided areas are three part. Part a is the large braided band, part b is a brown braided fragment, and c is a smaller brown braided fragment. The band is broken and very fragile.

History Of Use

Headbands or turbans are found on mummy heads or the false heads of mummy bundles. Garments with curvilinear embroidery and multicoloured slip painted ceramics are contemporaneous. A headband that uses the same fibre and zigzag braid is illustrated in D'harcourt (pl. 59f).

Iconographic Meaning

The step block and step fret are used in all periods. They may derive from images of twisted strands that have submitted to the geometry of weaving. The zigzag is usually related to serpent images. The over-all form of the band is also serpentine. Like many headbands, this one appears to re-iterate the serpent association on a number of levels.