Yoruba woman wearing headtie of her own creation, Ife, Nigeria

Object Details

Local Numbers: EENG-II-11, 22A.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "A 2 Yrb. Yoruba. Nigeria, Ife. Young woman. May 1970. EE. neg.no. II-11, 22A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

Topic: Portraits; Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa; Clothing and dress -- Africa

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Nigeria

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "In southern Nigeria, among the Yoruba, where women's headties are considered a key element in formal dress ensembles, the practice of wrapping and decorating the heads relates to critical Yoruba beliefs about the sacredness of the head and its role in defining aspects of personhood." [Arnoldi M., 1995: Wrapping the Head, Crowning Achievements, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. During his trip to Nigeria, Elisofon visited Ife in the Yoruba region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.