Traditional women's headdress "ekori" · Namibia, Herero · ID: 3053081
Starting price
EUR 2,000
Estimated price
EUR 4,000
Provenance
Manfred Ritter, Reutlingen, GermanySize
H: 42 cm, L: 58 cm
H: 16.5 inch, L: 22.8 inch
Description
goatskin,
The headdress “ekori” was worn exclusively by married women on special occasions. The veil of animal skin was rolled up and framed the woman’s face.
Only when a young bride was escorted in solemn procession to her husband’s hut did she wear the veil open so that it covered her face. Even when a woman returned to her parental home as a widow, she wore her face veiled in this way.
This type of headgear dates from the 19th century or earlier. The “ekori” is no longer worn today. In the late 19th century, in the course of Christianization, it was replaced by a headgear made of fabric, called “otjikaiva”.
Comparing literature
Arnoldi, Mary Jo & Christine Mullen Kreamer, Crowning achievements, Los Angeles 1995, p. 36 f.