Scott, Georgia. — Headwraps: a global journey.
New York Public Affairs 2003 Bound, hardcover with original dustjacket, xi+209pp., 22x26cm., richly illustr. in col., in very good condition. (dustjacket with light traces of use). ISBN 9781586481094. Stop for a visit in the Czech Republic, where headscarves called satkas serve as symbols of national pride. Journey east to Malaysia, where handwoven kain dastars are wrapped for grooms by village elders. Explore the origins of the pagri, a turban worn by male Sikhs in India. Or swing by southern Nigeria to admire the color-drenched gélés of Yoruba women. These headwraps all look remarkably different and serve very different functions in dramatically different cultures. How and why does the headwrap exist in such variety? What are its meanings? How has it changed? Headwraps are stunning creations of silk, cotton, gauze, muslin, wool and other fabrics. They are tossed, wrapped, draped, tucked, tied or pinned in hundreds of styles. They can distinguish the highbred from the pauper, Christian from Muslim, men from women, and clan from clan. They currently make for hip fashion statements in France and America. In Headwraps, Georgia Scott retraces the dizzying year she spent travelling the globe in search of headwraps. Scott researched headwrap styles, documented their folklore, and snapped photos wherever she went. The result is a stunning collection of images and anecdotes of a remarkable journey to chronicle our mysterious and fascinating efforts to cover our heads.
