Woman's African-style Headwrap
date: label: Date made
content: 1972-1984
name: label: used by
content: Ruffins, Fath Davis
label: maker
content: Ruffins, Fath Davis
notes: label: Description
content: This headwrap dating between 1972 and 1984 was worn by Fath Davis Ruffins, an African American woman in Washington, DC. Ruffins bought the fabric for this headwrap and matching dress, which is also in the Smithsonian collections, at an African shop on Georgia Avenue in Washington, DC. It was made in 1972 but was worn as part of a summer "dress-up" outfit through 1984. Elaborately tied headwraps were worn by young African American women during this period to acknowledge their West African ancestral roots.
label: Description
content: The flat cotton rectangular panel is a large floral "Java Print" in three shades of green with yellow accents on a cream background with a dark green with yellow floral design border. The forty-six inch long rectangle is narrower on one short side (twenty inches) than the other (inches) with stitched edges. "Guaranteed Dutch Java Print" is stamped on the selvage.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: made in
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
label: used in
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
topic: label: depicted
content: African American
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: National Treasures exhibit
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content: Textiles
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Fath Davis Ruffins
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1992.0456.001
label: accession number
content: 1992.0456
label: catalog number
content: 1992.0456.001
objectType: label: Object Name
content: headwrap
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 46 in; 116.84 cm